Pune: From mild to short-term fevers to chickenpox-like fluid-filled boils, chikungunya patients have reported a range of atypical or unusual symptoms this year, doctors in the city have said. There were patients with more persistent pain in the joints, which orthopedic specialists said was indeed uncommon. Dr Abhijit Agashe , an orthopedic and joint replacement surgeon at Sahyadri Hospital , said: "In earlier outbreaks, patients typically had high fever followed by joint pain.
But this time, I've seen several cases with only mild fever lasting a day or two. This shift in symptoms is confusing, with patients often mistaking the infection for orthopedic issues. This is also why many first approached orthopedic clinics instead of GPs.
" Dr Agashe said some chikungunya patients also had pain not limited to their joints. "Earlier, we'd see pain only in the joints. But this year, patients have had widespread body ache, including back pain, which is different from localised joint pain.
" He said recovery times have also extended. "Patients would find some relief within a few weeks of medication. But this year, we've seen a more persistent illness.
People are not feeling better despite 20 to 21 days of medication," Dr Agashe said, adding that even after three weeks, symptoms such as back pain and redness and swelling of the foot persisted. He said a significant number of patients also had small white patches, resembling mustard seeds, after infection resolved. "While this has happened.