Be alert!!!
Symptoms:
Most people infected with chikungunya virus will develop some symptoms.
Symptoms usually begin 3–7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.
The most common symptoms are fever and joint pain.
Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash.
Chikungunya disease does not often result in death, but the symptoms can be severe and disabling.
Most patients feel better within a week. In some people, the joint pain may persist for months.
People at risk for more severe disease include newborns infected around the time of birth, older adults (≥65 years), and people with
medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease.
Once a person has been infected, he or she is likely to be protected from future infections.
Diagnosis:
The symptoms of chikungunya are similar to those of dengue and Zika, diseases spread by the same mosquitoes that transmit
chikungunya.
See your healthcare provider if you develop the symptoms described above and have visited an area where chikungunya is found.
If you have recently traveled, tell your healthcare provider when and where you traveled.
Your healthcare provider may order blood tests to look for chikungunya or other similar viruses like dengue and Zika.
Treatment:
There is no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat chikungunya virus.
Treat the symptoms:
Get plenty of rest.
Drink fluids to prevent dehydration.
Take medicine such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or paracetamol to reduce fever and pain.
Do not take aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS until dengue can be ruled out to reduce the risk of
bleeding).
If you are taking medicine for another medical condition, talk to your healthcare provider before taking additional medication.
If you have chikungunya, prevent mosquito bites for the first week of your illness.
During the first week of infection, chikungunya virus can be found in the blood and passed from an infected person to a mosquito
through mosquito bites.
An infected mosquito can then spread the virus to other people.
Prevention:
Use air conditioning or window/door screens to keep mosquitoes outside. If you are not able to protect yourself from mosquitoes inside your home or hotel, sleep under a mosquito bed net.
Help reduce the number of mosquitoes outside your home or hotel room by emptying standing water from containers such as flowerpots or buckets.
When weather permits, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
Use insect repellents
Repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, and oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol provide long-lasting protection.
If you use both sunscreen and insect repellent, apply the sunscreen first and then the repellent.
Do not spray repellent on the skin under your clothing.
Treat clothing with permethrin or purchase permethrin-treated clothing.
Always follow the label instructions when using insect repellent or sunscreen.
For more information about the virus please visit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chikungunya
