Chikungunya, Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Latest News

It is transmitted to humans by the bites of infected female mosquitoes, most commonly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.

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Chikungunya Latest News

The New York State Department of Health recently confirmed the first locally acquired case of chikungunya in the United States in over six years.

It is a mosquito-borne viral disease caused by the chikungunya virus (CHIKV).
It causes fever and severe joint pain.
It was first described during an outbreak in southern Tanzania in 1952 and has now been reported in more than 110 countries in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe.
The name “chikungunya” derives from a word in the Kimakonde language of southern Tanzania, meaning “that which bends up” and describes the stooped appearance of infected people with severe joint pain (arthralgia).

It is transmitted to humans by the bites of infected female mosquitoes, most commonly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.
These two species can also transmit other viruses, including dengue and Zika viruses.
It is not transmitted from one person to another. (i.e., it is not a contagious disease).

In symptomatic patients, CHIKV disease onset is typically 4–8 days (range 2–12 days) after the bite of an infected mosquito.
The most common symptom is an abrupt onset of fever, often accompanied by joint pain.
Other symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue, and rash.
Severe joint pain usually lasts a few days but can persist for months or even years.
Serious complications are uncommon, but atypical severe cases can cause long-term symptoms and even death, especially in older people and in children under one year old.