Chikungunya

What is chikungunya fever? Chikungunya is an arthropod-borne alphavirus transmitted by mosquitos. It causes an acute febrile illness accompanied by a rash, joint pain, and muscle pain. Where does chikungunya virus come from? Chikungunya virus (CHIK V) was first reported in Tanzania in 1952. Following the initial outbreaks in Africa and after more than three decades of quiescence, it made a resurgence and is currently endemic in several regions in Africa, India, South-East Asia, and the Western Pacific. Outbreaks have also become more frequent in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Island nations [1,2]. There have been no locally acquired cases in New Zealand or Australia; however, travellers can transport the virus after visiting endemic areas [3,4]. How is chikungunya spread? Chikungunya virus is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito, mainly Aedes aegypti or A. albopictus. Mosquitos that are capable of spreading chikungunya virus exist in some parts of Australia but are not normally found in New Zealand [3,4]. Rarely, chikungunya spreads via the maternal-fetal route, through blood products, or organ transplantation [5]. What are the clinical features of chikungunya fever? Chikungunya virus typically has an incubation period of 3–7 days (range 1–12 days) [6,7]. The first clinical manifestations are sudden-onset high fever and chills followed by severe polyarthralgia. • Classically, there is symmetrical involvement of several joints, especially the small j...

Chikungunya A Debilitating Disease From The Bite Of A Mosquito Over millennia, people have adapted their lives and culture to coexist with the mosquito. Besides their pesky bites, mosquitoes can leave behind debilitating and long-lasting illnesses, including malaria, Zika, yellow fever, dengue, and chikungunya. Explore the mosquito’s impact on our lives and how to help protect yourself while traveling to areas of the world endemic for mosquito-borne illnesses, including chikungunya. Get Started PANAMA CANAL, 1881-1914 The first attempt to build the Panama Canal was quite deadly, in most part due to tropical disease rather than accidents. Over 22,000 workers died or become hospitalized from mosquito-borne diseases like yellow fever or malaria. Only after stopping construction and embarking on an aggressive, years-long mosquito-eradication mission, was the canal finally completed. ARGENTINA, 2020 One of the world’s biggest blood sucking mosquitos was spotted by a man in Argentina. How big? The terrifying Psorophora ciliate grows 20 times bigger than your average sized Aedes albopictus mosquitoes that spread chikungunya. And while they do have a nasty bite, luckily, they aren’t known to carry disease or parasites. 2 What Is Chikungunya? Chikungunya is a viral disease that is spread by Aedes mosquitoes. Since it was first identified in Tanzania in 1952, it has spread to the tropical regions of the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Its name derives from the African Kimakonde language...

Prevention There is no vaccine to prevent chikungunya infections, so the best way to avoid getting it is to avoid getting bit by mosquitoes when you travel to parts of the world where outbreaks have occurred. Protecting yourself from mosquito bites can be a challenge, but there are things you can do to decrease your chances. • Put screens on your windows and doors, or at least use mosquito netting over your bed if screens are unavailable. • Use air conditioning indoors instead of keeping windows open to prevent mosquitoes entering your home • Empty containers containing standing water near your home (mosquitoes breed in standing water) • Wear long sleeves and long pants whenever possible • Use insect repellant. For information about the best types of repellant to use and how to apply it safely and properly, see the If you are infected with the chikungunya virus, it is important that you take steps to stop the further spread of the illness. It is passed from one person to another when a mosquito bites an infected person during the first week of their illness and then bites someone else, infecting them. To stop the spread of the illness, take extra precautions during the first week that you are sick to avoid getting bit by mosquitoes. Follow the same steps above to reduce your chances of getting bit by mosquitoes while you are sick. Chikungunya in the United States Several US states have reported residents who were diagnosed with the chikungunya infection after traveling to ...

Although chikungunya had previously been detected in countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Indian and Pacific Ocean regions, local transmission of the virus was first detected in the Caribbean in 2013. Since then, the virus has spread throughout most of the Americas, including the United States. Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. It is caused by the chikungunya virus (CHIKV). An infected person cannot directly transmit the virus to another person. The disease is spread when a mosquito feeds on a person with the virus circulating in their blood. The mosquito can pick up the virus and spread it to another person through its bite. If you have recently returned from an area with known virus transmission and are experiencing high fever and joint pain, your doctor might recommend a series of blood tests to detect the presence of chikungunya virus or antibodies. Several methods can be used for diagnosis of chikungunya virus infection. Serological tests, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), may confirm the presence of IgM and IgG anti-chikungunya antibodies. Chikungunya virus antibodies normally develop toward the end of the first week of illness. IgM antibody levels are highest three to five weeks after the onset of illness and persist for about two to three months. IgG antibodies appear about two weeks after onset of symptoms and can persist for years. According to the CDC, some patients will have a relapse of rheumat...

Chikungunya (chik-un-GUN-yuh) fever is an illness caused by a virus spread by mosquitoes. The name means "bends you up" or "stooped walk" because the infection causes severe joint and muscle pain. Other symptoms include sudden high fever, headache, fatigue, rash, nausea and red eyes. Symptoms of chikungunya often appear within 2 to 7 days after a bite from an infected mosquito. No vaccine exists yet. And no treatment for the infection is available. But chikungunya rarely causes serious problems or death. Many people get better within a couple of weeks. But others have joint and muscle pain that can last for months or years after they've been infected with the virus. The goal of treatment for the infection is to relieve symptoms with rest, fluids and drugs, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). Don't take aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve) until infections with symptoms similar to those of chikungunya fever have been ruled out. For ongoing joint and muscle pain, drugs that relieve rheumatoid arthritis may help. Ask your health care provider for advice. Where is it found? Once found only in Africa and Asia, chikungunya has spread quickly since 2004. Now, more than one-third of the people in the world live in places with risk factors for infection. These places include the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and islands in the Caribbean and the Indian and Pacific oceans. How is it spread? People get chikungunya when bitten by a mosquito in...

The chikungunya virus infects humans through the bite of a mosquito. It causes fever and joint pain. It is rarely fatal, but the symptoms can be severe, long-lasting, and debilitating. Once considered a disease of the tropics, cases have now been documented in more than one quarter of the countries on earth. This article will discuss the chikungunya virus, its causes, symptoms, treatment, and diagnosis – it will also cover ways to avoid the virus. The chikungunya virus is predominantly transmitted by a bite from an infected female mosquito. In general, it is not considered contagious; however, in rare cases, the virus can be transmitted through contact with an infected individual’s blood. The virus causes a fever that lasts a few days and joint pain that can last weeks or months. The symptoms of chikungunya virus are similar to those of other diseases such as • fever (sometimes as high as 104 °F) • joint pain • • muscle pain • rash • swelling around the joints Less commonly, symptoms can be accompanied by a maculopapular rash (similar to Share on Pinterest The only way to diagnose chikungunya is by a blood test. Only a blood test can definitively diagnose chikungunya as symptoms are not always easy to tell apart from other conditions. It is important to rule out dengue fever as quickly as possible because of its higher rate of mortality – up to 50 percent if untreated, compared with If an individual with the symptoms outlined above has recently visited an area where either...

It's been seen in as many as 60 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. The chikungunya virus isn't common in the U.S., compared to other countries. Cases of the virus were reported starting in 2014 among travelers returning to the U.S. from affected areas. Since then, rare cases of local transmission have been reported in Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The chikungunya virus is spread by the yellow fever mosquito and the Asian tiger mosquito, which are in the Southeastern U.S., and parts of the Southwestern U.S. The Asian tiger mosquito is also found along the East Coast and in the lower Midwestern U.S. How Do I Know if I Have It? You may see signs of chikungunya around 3 to 7 days after you’re bitten. Chikungunya symptoms typically include fever and It can be hard to know for sure that you have chikungunya because it can look like other illnesses spread by See your doctor if you have these symptoms, especially if you have been somewhere that’s recently had an outbreak or live in an area where it has been reported. How Is Chikungunya Diagnosed? The doctor will take a sample of your How Do You Treat Chikungunya? There’s no antiviral chikungunya treatment – or treatment that can kill the virus itself. There's no vaccine to prevent it, either. Doctors just treat symptoms. • Aspirin • Ibuprofen • Naproxen sodium Drink plenty of liquids and get a lot of rest. If you have joint and muscle pain that won't go away, your doctor may give you s...