By Dr. Sonia Gupta | 27th Dec 2022
Chikungunya is a virus that is spread to humans by the bites of mosquitoes that are infected with the virus. Mosquitoes, particularly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, spread the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an alphavirus.
The word “chikungunya” derives from the Kimakonde language, meaning “to become contorted.” (twisting or bending). In the past few years, it has become a new and unexpected public health problem in many tropical African and Asian countries. It is now seen as a real threat to temperate areas where Aedes species have colonised, such as Europe and the Americas.
Chikungunya is caused by:
Humans are exposed to the virus when an infected mosquito bites them. Humans serve as the virus’s main host when there is an outbreak. The mosquito gets infected when it bites a person who already has the virus.
Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya viruses are all spread by mosquitoes and have similar clinical symptoms. The chikungunya virus spreads through blood, and cases are reported by both medical professionals who draw blood from infected patients and laboratory workers who handle infected blood.
When a patient is viremic (has a virus in their blood) during the first week of illness, they are more likely to transmit the virus to a mosquito that bites them or through their blood.
The most surprising thing was that CHIKV infections in newborns could be passed from mother to child.
Research shows that before the 22nd week of pregnancy, there was a higher chance of an abortion or the death of the fetus in India.
In CHIKV-viremic mothers, mother-to-child transmission was only observed during preterm deliveries.
One in two cases of neonatal CHIKV infection was symptomatic after four days, with fever, pain, prostration, poor feeding, diffuse pain, distal joint oedema, and diverse skin alterations (petechiae, exanthema).
The most common problem was viral meningoencephalitis, which was shown on an MRI to be pathological and had terrible results (death or long-term disability).
The government needs to know about the spread of the Chikungunya virus nationally. If a doctor thinks a patient has chikungunya, they should tell the state or local health department. This will help with the diagnosis and lower the risk of local transmission.
Chikungunya symptoms can be divided into two stages acute and chronic.
Adults who are sick often feel very tired, lose their appetite, have muscle pain, get sick, and throw up. They may also feel confused for a short time. The first ten days after the disease starts are called the acute stage.
Read more– Home Remedies for Joint Pain
The standard way for a lab to diagnose a virus is to test serum or plasma for the virus, viral nucleic acid, virus-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) M, and virus-neutralizing antibodies.
A viral culture may identify the virus during the first three days of sickness. Serum frequently contains the chikungunya virus RNA.
So, patients whose samples were taken during the acute phase and came back negative should have samples taken during the convalescent phase (the later stage of an infectious disease or illness) to rule out the diagnosis for sure.
Chikungunya treatment involves:
Conclusion
If you think you have been infected with the chikungunya virus, contact your healthcare provider right away so that they can determine if you need treatment or monitoring for signs of disease progression. You can get both brand-name and generic drugs by uploading your prescription to the Truemeds app. When you order medicines online, you may save money by choosing an alternative or generic medicine suggested by Truemed’s expert doctors. You can save up to 72% on your purchase and get free home delivery across India.
FAQs
Most of the time, the antibody levels can be seen in the first week after the illness starts and stay that way for about two months.
Chikungunya deaths are extremely rare. People who are older or who have long-term diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic kidney failure, tuberculosis, or HIV should see a doctor to get a more thorough diagnosis and check on their health.
The critical difference between the two infections is that chikungunya has a higher fever and more severe joint pain. Chikungunya pain can be severe (bend people over), affecting their hands, feet, knees, and back. This makes it difficult to walk or even to open a water bottle. It’s vital to watch for warning symptoms since dengue can lead to consequences after the fever goes down.
Disclaimer: This information shouldn’t be used to diagnose or treat a medical condition, nor should it be used in a medical emergency. A qualified medical professional should be consulted to diagnose and treat all medical conditions.
References-
Subscribe
Claim your complimentary health and fitness tips subscription and stay updated on our newest promotions.
Download Truemeds
Manage your health with ease Download Truemeds today!Get easy access to medicine refills, health information, and more. With our app, you'll never have to wait in line again. Download now and start taking control of your health.
Contact Us
Our customer representative team is available 7 days a week from 9 am - 9 pm.
v2.5.2
Our Payment Partners