Chikungunya fever
- Epidemiology
- Found primarily in tropical and subtropical regions (e.g., Central and South America, Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, Southern and Western Asia, and Europe)
- Etiology
- Pathogen: Chikungunya virus (belongs to the alphavirus genus of the family Togaviridae)
- Vectors: mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus), possibly leading to coinfection with dengue
- Route of transmission: Mosquito bite
- Clinical features
- Symptoms are similar to those of dengue and Zika virus infection.
- Incubation period: usually 3–7 days
- Sudden onset fever (typically > 39°C)
- Malaise
- Severe bilateral polyarthralgia
- Joint swelling (effusion, synovitis, periarticular edema)
- Headache
- Maculopapular rash
- Other (less common): e.g., lymphadenopathy, bleeding (rare)
Tip
Chikungunya, dengue, and zika are all mosquito-borne diseases and similar in clinical features.