Hundreds of people suffered excruciating joint pains and fever to cast their vote in the chikungunya-affected twin taluks of Sullia and Puttur on Friday. The mosquito-borne disease has reached epidemic proportions in these two taluks. Government health officials who did not want to be quoted said that nearly 40 per cent of the population here might be affected from the ailment. In Kadaba, a village where an average of 450 symptomatic cases are being reported daily, nearly half the voters had turned out by noon. Awomma (80), a chikungunya patient, collapsed minutes after she cast her vote at a booth in Kodimbala village. Luckily for her, there was a private hospital right outside the polling booth; she was administered intravenous fluids. At 12.30 p.m. the hospital where Awomma was admitted was bursting at the seams with suspected chikungunya patients. There were nearly 50 people in the hospital when this correspondent visited it along with the sick woman. Doctor in-charge of the hospital C.K. Shastri told The Hindu that he had been getting over 130 suspected cases a day. A random survey revealed that over 30 of them had already voted. Most of the remaining people told The Hindu that they were going to vote after they received their medicines. Dr. Shastri however expressed dismay over not being able to vote. The situation was worse in the Kadaba Primary Health Centre where Administrative Officer Trimurthy is himself suffering from the disease. By 1 p.m., the centre had already been visited by over 300 people suspected to be suffering from chikungunya. Dozens of patients, who were waiting in the queue to meet the doctor, showed the indelible ink mark on their forefingers to The Hindu to prove that they had indeed voted.