Chikungunya: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Prevention

 

A virus called chikungunya is transmitted by mosquito bites. After being bitten, most patients have symptoms including joint pain and fever three to seven days later. The goal of treatment is to control symptoms. Most people recover in a week or less.

What is chikungunya?

The virus known as chikungunya (CHIKV) is transmitted to humans by mosquito bites, specifically those from the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus species. A person can contract chikungunya when they are bitten by a virus-carrying mosquito. While blood transmission is a possible, the virus is not transmitted by physical touch or saliva.

The virus may cause severe symptoms such as fever and joint discomfort. Because chikungunya is known to cause joint pain, the name translates to "bent over." Chikungunya cannot be treated with drugs. The goal of treatment is to control your symptoms. Most of patients get well in approximately a week, but some have chronic joint discomfort.

When traveling to areas where chikungunya is currently spreading, visitors should exercise extreme caution to prevent mosquito bites. Once you have the virus, it's extremely crucial to avoid mosquito bites for around one week. This is due to the possibility that you could contract the virus from an infected mosquito that bit you.

Which symptoms of chikungunya are present?

Although some people experience symptoms as soon as two days or as long as 12 days after a mosquito bite, chikungunya symptoms often appear three to seven days after the mosquito bite.

The chikungunya virus most commonly causes fever and joint pain. Depending on the individual, symptoms may differ in severity. Joint pain that is incapacitating for many persons. Usually, the fever starts suddenly. Some patients may experience symptoms so mild that they mistakenly identify the virus as something else or choose not to see a healthcare provider.

Additional signs and symptoms might be:

• Headache.
• Pains in the muscles.
• Rash
• Swelling of the joints.
• Fatigued.
• Nausea.

Most people recover completely after experiencing symptoms for around one week. Even so, some people experience persistent joint pain following their recovery.

Also Read: Dengue fever : Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

Causes: 

A person gets the virus by being bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus. Rather than being transferred from person to person by body fluids or contact, the virus is conveyed by mosquito bites. This implies that you won't infect a caregiver or family member if you have chikungunya.

Healthcare professionals have reportedly contracted the virus after handling an infected person's blood. This indicates that while rare, blood-borne transmission is possible.

Is it easily spreadable?

Through a mosquito bite, the Chikungunya virus transmitted to humans. A virus-carrying individual cannot spread the infection to others by coughing, sneezing, or sharing bodily fluids like saliva. The virus can only spread by way of an infected mosquito.

During the first week of the illness, there is a higher chance of an individual spreading chikungunya to an uninfected mosquito.

What chikungunya complications exist?

Prolonged pain in the joints is the virus's most frequent side effect. Some chikungunya patients describe pain months or years after contracting the virus.

Individuals who are pregnant, elderly (65 years of age and above), or have specific medical conditions may be more vulnerable to more serious consequences from the virus. Among these medical conditions are:

• Diabetes.
• High blood pressure.
• Heart conditions.

Rarely does the infection cause death. After healing from the virus, there have been other situations where the patient has reported continuing heart, eye, or neurological issues.

Diagnoses:

Inform your healthcare practitioner if you have experienced chikungunya symptoms and have recently visited a region where the disease is known to be spread. A blood test may also be requested to diagnose chikungunya.

 Treatment:

Medicines are available to treat chikungunya. The goal of treatment is to control an individual's symptoms. This comprises:

• Consuming a lot of water.
• Getting a lot of rest.

Acetaminophen usage for pain relief. Take aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) only after your doctor has made a diagnosis.

Within a week after the onset of symptoms, the majority of people feel better. However, some patients report having joint pain for a few months or even years at a time. The majority of research indicates that because you become immune to the virus after having chikungunya, you are less likely to contract it again.

Is it possible to cure chikungunya?

No, there isn't a treatment for chikungunya; nonetheless, the sickness passes quickly. However, by receiving the vaccination, staying away from mosquitoes, and exercising extra caution when visiting regions where chikungunya outbreaks are more frequent, you can prevent it.

 Prevention:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the IXCHIQ chikungunya vaccine around the end of 2023. Those over eighteen who are more likely to contract the virus are eligible for the vaccine.

Even though the vaccination is only available to adults, controlling mosquito populations is still important. There are several ways to accomplish this.

• Applying insect repellant. Sprays, lotions, candles, and other items are available to deter mosquitoes from biting you. To ensure that the product you use is safe and applied appropriately, please read the label instructions.

• Dressing in a way that covers your hands, feet, legs, and arms. Additionally, there are sprays that you can use straight on your clothes.

• Removing standing water from your home's surroundings. Planters, old tires, buckets, birdbaths, and any other container that can hold still water are examples of locations that draw sitting water. Water is a favorite place for mosquitoes to lay their eggs.

• Cover wagons, tents, and strollers with mosquito netting.

• To keep mosquitoes out, make sure your doors and windows are closed or that you have screens fixed.

• Steer clear of regions where an outbreak is occurring. This is particularly true in the latter stages of pregnancy because neonates are prone to illness.

• During the first week of the disease, people who have the virus should try to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes again. This is due to the possibility that a mosquito that is not infected could contract the virus from you. After that, the mosquito might bite more individuals and transmit the infection.

References:

• World Health Organization. Chikungunya (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/chikungunya). Last reviewed 12/2022. Accessed 5/6/2024.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.). Chikungunya Virus (https://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/index.html). Last reviewed 3/2024. Accessed 5/6/2024.

• Pan American Health Organization. Chikungunya (https://www.paho.org/en/topics/chikungunya). Accessed 5/6/2024.

• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (Sweden). Factsheet about chikungunya (https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/chikungunya/facts/factsheet). Accessed 5/6/2024.

• Ojeda Rodriguez JA, Haftel A, Walker, III JR. Chikungunya Fever (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534224/). 2023 Jun 26. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island, FL: StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Accessed 5/6/2024.