Symptoms of chikungunya appear between 4 and 7 days after the patient has been bitten by the infected mosquito. Chikungunya is rarely fatal. Most symptoms are generally self-limiting and last for 2–3 days. The disease is characterized by an abrupt onset of fever, which is frequently accompanied by joint pain. Other common signs and symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash. The joint pain is often debilitating and usually lasts for a few days to a few weeks.
Most patients recover fully, but in some cases joint pain may persist for several months or even years. Occasional cases of eye, nervous system and heart complications have been reported, as well as gastrointestinal complaints. Serious complications are not common, but the disease can contribute to the cause of death in older people. Often symptoms in infected individuals are mild and the infection may go unrecognized or be misdiagnosed in areas where dengue also occurs
Chikungunya
Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease that causes fever and severe joint pain. The disease was first recognized in 1952 during an outbreak in southern Tanzania. It is a ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus that belongs to the alphavirus genus of the family Togaviridae. The name “chikungunya” derives from a word in the Kimakonde language of southern Tanzania, meaning “to become contorted”, and describes the stooped appearance of sufferers with joint pain (arthralgia).
Chikungunya is transmitted to humans by the bites of infected female mosquitoes. Most commonly, the mosquitoes involved are Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. These two species can also transmit other mosquito-borne viruses, including dengue. They bite throughout daylight hours, although there may be peaks of activity in the early morning and late afternoon.
The disease occurs in Africa and Asia, although imported cases have been recorded in the WHO European Region and the Region of the Americas. Over 2 million cases have been reported since 2005
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