Chikungunya | |
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Rash from chikungunya | |
Pronunciation | |
Specialty | Infectious disease |
Symptoms | Fever, joint pain[2] |
Complications | Long term joint pain[2] |
Usual onset | 2 to 14 days after exposure[3] |
Duration | Usually less than a week[2] |
Causes | Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) spread by mosquitoes[3] |
Diagnostic method | Blood test for viral RNA or antibodies[3] |
Differential diagnosis | Dengue fever, Zika fever[3] |
Prevention | Mosquito control, avoidance of bites[4] |
Treatment | Supportive care[3] |
Prognosis | Risk of death ~ 1 in 1,000[4] |
Frequency | > 1 million (2014)[3] |
Chikungunya is an infection caused by the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV).[5][3] The disease was first identified in 1952 in Tanzania and named based on the Kimakonde words for "to become contorted".[3]
Symptoms include fever and joint pain.[2] These typically occur two to twelve days after exposure.[3] Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, and a rash.[2] Symptoms usually improve within a week; however, occasionally the joint pain may last for months or years.[2][6] The risk of death is around 1 in 1,000.[4] The very young, old, and those with other health problems are at risk of more severe disease.[2]
The virus is spread between people by two types of mosquitos: Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti,[3] which mainly bite during the day.[7] The virus may circulate within a number of animals, including birds and rodents.[3] Diagnosis is done by either testing the blood for viral RNA or antibodies to the virus.[3] The symptoms can be mistaken for those of dengue fever and Zika fever.[3] It is believed most people become immune after a single infection.[2]
The best means of prevention are overall mosquito control and the avoidance of bites in areas where the disease is common.[4] This may be partly achieved by decreasing mosquitoes' access to water, as well as the use of insect repellent and mosquito nets. In November 2023 the USFDA approved an adults-only vaccine (Ixchiq) for prevention of the disease.[8] Once infected and symptomatic, recommendations to patients should include rest, fluids, and medications to help with fever and joint pain.[2][3]
In 2014, more than a million suspected cases occurred globally.[3] While the disease is endemic in Africa and Asia, outbreaks have been reported in Europe and the Americas since the 2000s;[3] in 2014, an outbreak was reported in Florida in the continental United States, but as of 2016 there were no further locally-acquired cases.[9][10]