Chikungunya Fever, Causes, Signs and Symptoms,Diagnosis and Treatment.

Medical Centric
Medical Centric
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Published 2021-05-01
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Chapters

0:00 Introduction
0:54 Causes of Chikungunya
2:19 Symptoms of Chikungunya
3:01 Diagnosis of Chikungunya
3:38 Treatment of Chikungunya


Chikungunya is an infection caused by the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV).[3] Symptoms include fever and joint pains.[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][5] 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] They mainly bite during the day.[6] The virus may circulate within a number of animals including birds and rodents.[3] Diagnosis is by either testing the blood for the virus's 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 is 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 and with the use of insect repellent and mosquito nets.[3] There is no vaccine and no specific treatment as of 2016.[3] Recommendations include rest, fluids, and medications to help with fever and joint pain.[2][3]

While the disease typically occurs in Africa and Asia, outbreaks have been reported in Europe and the Americas since the 2000s.[3] In 2014 more than a million suspected cases occurred.[3] In 2014 it was occurring in Florida in the continental United States but as of 2016 there were no further locally acquired cases.[7][8] The disease was first identified in 1952 in Tanzania.[3] The term is from the Kimakonde language and means "to become contorted".[3]
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