Chikungunya Fever

Chikungunya Fever

What is chikungunya fever? Chikungunya fever is a viral disease transmitted to

humans by the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes.

What type of illness does chikungunya virus cause? This infection can cause a

debilitating illness, most often characterized by fever, headache, fatigue, nausea,

vomiting, muscle pain, rash, and joint pain.

The incubation period (time from infection to illness) can be 2-12 days, but is

usually 3-7 days.

Acute chikungunya fever typically lasts a few days to a couple of weeks, but as

with dengue, some patients have prolonged fatigue lasting several weeks.

Additionally, some patients have reported incapacitating joint pain, or arthritis

which may last for weeks or months.

How do humans become infected with chikungunya virus? Chikungunya fever is

spread by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito.

How is chikungunya virus infection treated? No vaccine or specific antiviral

treatment for chikungunya fever is available. Treatment is symptomatic—rest,

fluids, and ibuprofen, naproxen, acetaminophen, or paracetamol may relieve

symptoms of fever and aching. Aspirin or Dispirin should be avoided during the

acute stages of the illness.

What can people do to prevent becoming infected with chikungunya virus? The

best way to avoid Chikungunya infection is to prevent mosquito bites. There is no

vaccine or preventive drug.

Prevention tips are similar to those for Dengue, featured in my previous post.

If you ever notice that many persons have

suffered from an illness which may appear to

be Chikungunya Fever, please inform this to the local

health authorities or reply to this post at the earliest. This will help

in preventing the disease acquiring epidemic

proportions.

Hope you found the information helpful.

If you require any information about any other disease, don’t hesitate to ask Dr. Kastor.

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