Danger is Lurking in Your Back Yard

Chikungunya is a disease that is caused by a virus transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. It is a new disease in the Caribbean: the first cases were detected in St Martin in December 2013, and it has now spread throughout the region.

The chikungunya virus comes from Africa, where it was first identified in the country of Tanzania in the 1950s. Since then, it has spread to many other parts of the world where the Aedes mosquito lives. The name “chikungunya” comes from the Makonde language, and means “that which bends,” describing the bent-over appearance of people who experience joint pain.

There is lots of scientific proof that mosquitoes carry the Chikungunya virus and that being bitten by an infected mosquito is the only way to become infected. In theory, it might be possible to get Chikungunya through a blood transfusion from an infected person, but this would be extremely unlikely. You cannot get Chikungunya by eating chicken or other foods, by touching or sharing food with someone who has Chikungunya, or by being bitten by other insects.

People who are bitten by a mosquito carrying chikungunya may start to feel sick after 2 – 12 days. The first symptom is usually a high fever that starts suddenly. Severe joint pain in hands wrists, knees and ankles is also common. Other reported symptoms include joint swelling, headache, back pain, body aches, rash, nausea and vomiting. Rarely, you can become infected with chikungunya and not have symptoms at all. The symptoms of chikungunya usually go away within 7-10 days. However, one of the most serious aspects of the disease is that in a small proportion of people, joint pain can come and go for months or even years.

There is no specific medicine to treat chikungunya. Your doctor may advise rest and drinking plenty of liquids, and will recommend appropriate medication for pain. In some cases, recovery from chikungunya can take up to a year or even more, with persistent joint pain. For persistent joint pain, your doctor may recommend anti-inflammatory medicine to be taken long-term. There is no vaccine to protect against chikungunya at this time.

Some people are at risk of having more serious disease if they do get infected with chikungunya. These include older adults (over 45 years), people with arthritis, and people with underlying medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease. Deaths from chikungunya are very rare: people who have serious pre-existing health conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease are most at risk.

Both chikungunya and dengue can be transmitted by the same Aedes mosquito, but the two diseases are caused by different viruses. The diseases have similar symptoms, but there are some differences. With chikungunya, you are more likely to have joint pain, which can sometimes last for a long time. With dengue infection, fever tends to last longer, and dengue is more likely than chikungunya to lead to serious illness or death.