Chikungunya

About Chikungunya:

• It is a mosquito-borne viral disease caused by the Chikungunya Virus (CHIKV).
• It causes fever and severe joint pain.
• The word comes from the African Makonde language and means "bent over in pain."
• It was first described during an outbreak in southern Tanzania in 1952 and has now been reported in more than 110 countries in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe.
• Transmission:
  • It is transmitted to humans by the bites of infected female mosquitoes, most commonly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.
  • These two species can also transmit other viruses, including dengue and Zika viruses.
  • An infected person cannot spread the infection directly to other persons (i.e., it is not a contagious disease).
• Symptoms:
  • The symptoms of chikungunya are similar to those of dengue and Zika, making chikungunya easy to misdiagnose.
  • The most common symptom is an abrupt onset of fever, often accompanied by joint pain.
  • Other symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue, and rash.
  • Severe joint pain usually lasts a few days but can persist for months or even years.
  • Serious complications are uncommon, but atypical severe cases can cause long-term symptoms and even death, especially in older people and in children under one year old.
• Treatment:
  • There is no vaccine or antiviral drug treatment for chikungunya.
  • Treatment is focused on relieving the symptoms.