Chikungunya Virus
Important Details about Chikungunya Virus
What is chikungunya infection?
A virus is the cause of chikungunya infection. It can infect you if an infected mosquito (a “mozzie”) bites you. Chikungunya is transmitted by female Aedes mosquitoes, which also carry the viruses that cause dengue fever, yellow fever, and the Zika virus. When a mosquito bites a person who has chikungunya, it contracts the virus. A few days later, it can transfer it to other individuals.
What are the symptoms of chikungunya?
Usually, three to seven days after being bitten by an infected mosquito, symptoms start to show up. It might occasionally take up to 12 days for symptoms to appear. The two most typical symptoms are fever and joint pain. Additional symptoms could be headaches, sore muscles, rash on limbs and the chest that lasts for a week or more, nausea, and exhaustion. Your symptoms could occasionally be so slight that you are unaware of them. Although your joint pain and inflammation may subside in a week or two, they may linger for months or even years.
Am I at risk of severe disease?
The majority of chikungunya virus infections last for a few weeks before getting well on their own without any medical intervention. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or are older than 65, you run the risk of developing a more serious illness. Additionally, newborns are susceptible to more severe diseases.
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How is chikungunya diagnosed and treated?
See your doctor if you become ill and have a high fever after visiting a tropical location. After examining you, they might prescribe a blood test to determine whether you have chikungunya. Chikungunya patients are occasionally mistaken as having dengue fever, the Ross River virus, or the Barmah Forest virus, among other illnesses spread by mosquitoes.
There’s no particular way to cure chikungunya. Joint discomfort can be managed with the use of painkillers. Because the symptoms of dengue fever and chikungunya are similar, you should wait to take aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications until dengue fever has been ruled out. (In the event of dengue fever, these medications raise the risk of bleeding). The first week of your sickness is crucial to avoid mosquito bites if you have the chikungunya virus. This is due to the possibility that you could infect the mosquito, which would subsequently infect other individuals.
How can I prevent chikungunya?
A vaccination to ward against chikungunya does not exist. The only way to stop an infection is to stay away from mosquito bites. Closing windows and using insecticide sprays indoors, dressing in light-coloured long sleeve shirts and long pants, and applying insect repellent that contains DEET (diethyl toluamide) or picaridin (see your pharmacist for recommendations) will all help lower your risk of mosquito bites.
When using mosquito nets or screens, try to ensure that there isn’t any standing water around, such as in gutters, abandoned containers, or fallen palm fronds. The mosquitoes in your vicinity may also be infected if someone in your community contracts chikungunya. Make sure to remove any items, like tins or other containers, where standing water may collect, since mosquitoes could breed there. Also, ensure everyone in your household uses insect repellent regularly.
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