What is chikungunya fever?
Chikungunya fever is a viral illness that is spread by the bites of infected mosquitoes. Chikungunya fever typically lasts from five to seven days and frequently causes severe and often incapacitating joint pain which sometimes persists for much longer periods. It is rarely life-threatening. There is no specific treatment for the disease but analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication may be used to reduce the pain and swelling. Aspirin should be avoided. There is no vaccine against this virus, so preventive measures depend entirely on avoiding mosquito bites which occur mainly during the daytime, and eliminating mosquito breeding sites. To avoid mosquito bites: • wear clothes that cover as much skin as possible; • use mosquito repellents on exposed skin and on clothing in accordance with label instructions; • use mosquito nets to protect babies, older and sick people and others who rest during the day. The effectiveness of mosquito nets can be improved by treating them w
Chikungunya fever is an acute viral disease caused by the chikungunya virus. How is the virus transmitted? Chikungunya virus is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected mosquito. Monkeys, and possibly other wild animals, may also serve as reservoirs of the virus. Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to other humans when they bite. The main vector is mosquito Aedes aegypti, the same type of mosquito that can transmit dengue fever, although other mosquitoes e.g. Aedes albopictus and Culex can also transmit the disease. There is no direct person to person spread. Where is chikungunya fever found? The disease was first recognised in Eastern Africa in the 1950s. The disease is endemic in many parts of the tropics. Outbreaks have occurred in recent years in Africa, Southeast Asia, South Asia (e.g. India and Sri Lanka), and the Indian Ocean islands. Closer to home, outbreaks were also reported in Malaysia and Indonesia in 2006. Imported cases of chikungunya fever have also been
