Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 2: Identifying the symptoms
• Part 2 of 2: Treating and preventing the virus
• Tips
• Warnings

Chikungunya is a virus that can be transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. It mainly occurs in tropical regions such as Central America, Asia and Africa, but it is occasionally taken to Europe by travelers who have been to tropical countries. It is characterized by a high fever and moderate to severe joint pain.There is currently no treatment to cure Chikungunya, and the only way to prevent it is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. Fortunately, the virus is rarely very serious or deadly. Read here how to recognize the symptoms of Chikungunya.

To step

Part 1 of 2: Identifying the symptoms

1. Watch for a high fever. High fever is usually one of the first symptoms of Chikungunya, with temperatures as high as 40 ° C. The fever usually lasts for two days and then stops very abruptly.
2. Watch for joint pain. The characteristic symptom of Chikungunya is severe joint pain (arthritis) in several joints.
   • The name "Chikungunya" comes from the Kimakonde dialect and means "what bends," referring to the people bent over by arthritis symptoms.
   • In most patients, the joint pain lasts only a few days, but there are cases where it lasts longer. In some cases, patients continued to experience joint pain for weeks, months or years.
3. Watch for a rash. Many people who have the Chikungunya virus develop a rash on their body and limbs. This rash may look like purple or red spots or small red bumps.
4. Watch for other nonspecific symptoms. Other common symptoms with Chikungunya are persistent headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, fatigue, sensitivity to light and loss of taste.

Part 2 of 2: Treating and preventing the virus

1. Call your doctor if you think you have the Chikungunya virus. If you think you have this virus, it is important to call your doctor, especially if you have a fever.
   • Since it is difficult to determine if you have Chikungunya (it is often confused with dengue fever), your doctor can make a diagnosis based on your symptoms, where you have traveled, and by drawing blood.
   • The only really reliable way to prove the virus is to have your blood tested in the lab. This is usually not necessary, as complications so severe that they require diagnosis by the laboratory rarely occur.
2. Treat the symptoms of the virus. There are no antiviral medications to cure Chikungunya, but your doctor can prescribe medications to relieve symptoms.
   • The fever and joint pains can be relieved with, for example, ibuprofen, naproxen or paracetamol. In this case it is better not to take aspirin.
   • Patients with Chikungunya should rest and drink plenty of water.
3. Prevent Chikungunya by avoiding mosquito bites. There is no vaccine yet to combat Chikungunya. The only way to avoid getting the virus is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, especially when traveling in areas where the disease is common, such as Africa, Asia and Central America. To avoid mosquito bites, do the following:
   • Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants with long legs.
   • Use insect repellants on uncovered skin. Consider using an agent with DEET.
   • Make sure the accommodation where you are staying has good mosquito nets on the windows and doors, and sleep in a mosquito net. Make sure that children and the elderly are well protected against mosquitoes during naps, even during the day.

Tips

• Infected persons must also protect themselves well against mosquito bites during the first days of the disease. If they are bitten now, they will transfer the disease back to the mosquito, which can then infect other people.
• Boost your immune system with herbs such as echinacea and turmeric.
• The incubation period for the virus is between 2 and 12 days.
• You can only treat the symptoms, the infection itself cannot be cured with medication, the body has to do that itself.
• The laboratory test consists of examining blood or cerebrospinal fluid for virus-specific antibodies.

Warnings

• Some patients suffer from joint pain for weeks or even months.
• There is no vaccine to prevent the disease.
• The use of aspirin is not recommended in this case.