CHIKUNGUNYA FEVER

Definition : Chikungunya fever is a viral disease transmitted to humans by the bite of infected mosquitoes. Chikungunya virus was first isolated from blood of a febrile patient with severe rashes in Tanzania in 1953 and has since been identified repeatedly in west, central and southern Africa and many areas of Asia.

SIGNS ANDSYMPTOMS
Chikungunya virus can cause physical weakness such as ( debilitating ilness )

• Fever
• Headache
• Fatique
• Nausea
• Vomitting
• Muscle pain
• Rash
• Joint pain incapacitating joint pain , so called debilitating or crisppling illness ,joint pain misnic like arthritis, and patient become spiral or bends up.The term Chikungunya means that which bends up ( joint pain lasts for few weeks to few months).

INCUBATION PERIOD
Time from infection to ilness can be 2 - 12 days, but is usually 3- 7 days. "Silent chikungunya virus infections do occur ( infections without ilness) but how commonly this happens is not yet known. Accute chikungunya fever typically last last a few days to a couple of weeks.Some patients have prolonged fatique lasting several weeks. Additionally, some patients has reported incapacitating joint pain, or arthritis which may last for weeks or month.