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What is chikungunya fever?
Chikungunya fever is a viral disease transmitted to humans by the bite of infected mosquitoes.

Aedes aegypti, the same mosquito that transmits yellow fever, is thought to be the primary carrier of the chikungunya virus (CHIKV), although other species have been found to be infected.

Where does chikungunya fever occur?
Chikungunya fever occurs regularly in west, central and southern Africa, and in many parts of Asia.

Symptoms of chikungunya fever
The illness usually involves the following symptoms: fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, rash, joint pain. The time from infection (i.e. being bitten) with CHIKV to symptomatic illness is usually about three to seven days.

Acute chikungunya fever typically lasts a few days to a couple of weeks, but some people with the disease have fatigue lasting several weeks. Also, some patients have reported joint pain lasting for weeks or even months. Immunocompromised people are at higher risk of getting seriously ill if they are infected. However, no deaths from CHIKV infection have been conclusively documented by medical science.

Medical researchers believe that once a person has had CHIKV infection (even if there are no symptoms), they gain life-long immunity to the disease.

Treatment for Chikungunya fever
There is no specific treatment for chikungunya fever; treatment is aimed at relieving symptoms, and involves rest, taking in fluids, and medications such as ibuprofen or paracetamol to relieve fever and aching joints.

Can chikungunya fever be prevented?
There is no preventive drug for CHIKV infection; the best preventive measure is to avoid mosquito bites, as one would for any disease (like malaria, for example), carried by these insects:

• Wear clothing with long sleeves and cover your ankles – especially at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active. It’s also preferable to stay indoors at these times.
• Use long-lasting insecticide sprays inside homes and buildings.
• Place wire or gauze screens on all doors and windows.
• Keep a fan on in the room during the night – the current seems to put off the mosquitoes.
• Apply mosquito repellents directly to the skin.
• Use mosquito netting over the beds – these can be soaked in certain types of insecticide.
• Try and spend evenings indoors rather than outdoors, as you are much less likely to get bitten by mosquitoes.
• Blankets treated with mosquito repellents are useful.

When planning a trip to another country, always consult a doctor or a travel clinic well in advance to find out about prevalent diseases and the necessary precautions to take.
 

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