What is Chikungunya?
Chikungunya fever is a rare form of mosquito-transmitted viral fever caused by the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). It’s an arbovirus of the genus Alphavirus (family Togaviridae) identified in 40 countries or more of Asia, Africa, and in Italy in Europe as per the WHO report. Australia and the Americas are so far spared from the Chikungunya epidemic outbreak. However, there are reports of a few incidences of infection in travelers from the affected countries.
Chikungunya infection causes fever with debilitating joint pains. Mosquito bites from the Aedes aegypti mosquito spread the disease. However, it is also spread through the Aedes albopictus mosquito aka Tiger mosquito. The name, Chikungunya, derives from the word “kungunyala” from the African local dialect Makonde. It means “bent-up” position with reference to the stooped/contorted posture of the infected persons as a result of the arthritic symptoms of the disease. It is also said the word derives from either of the African languages Kimakonde or Swahili. Anyway, it was first discovered in Tanzania, Africa, in the early 1950s. Like dengue, Chikungunya too is a disease of tropical and subtropical regions that occurs epidemically.
Chikungunya, Myth and Fact
There is a myth prevailing in some areas that chikungunya (chicken guinea or chickengunya as said by those folks) is a disease someway associated with chicken and should avoid consuming chicken at times of chikungunya epidemic breakout!!! Nonetheless, the fact is that chikungunya is in no way related to chicken or Guinea.
How Does Chikungunya Spread?
Like dengue, chikungunya disease too is noncontagious i.e., not an airborne infection. The chikungunya virus spreads through the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes get infect when they feed on a person infected with the chikungunya virus. Infected mosquitoes then spread the virus to other humans when they bite.
Aedes aegypti (the yellow fever mosquito), a household container breeder and aggressive daytime biter, is the primary vector of chikungunya virus to humans. Aedes albopictus (the Asian tiger mosquito) may also play a role in human transmission in Asia. The virus has infected various forest-dwelling mosquito species in Africa as well.
What are Chikungunya Fever Symptoms?
After an incubation period of 3 to 12 days, there will be a sudden onset of flu-like symptoms including a severe headache, chills, fever (up to 104 °F), joint pain, nausea, vomiting and rash involving the limbs and trunk. Particularly, the joints of the extremities become swollen and painful to touch. There can also be a headache, conjunctival infection and slight photophobia. Children may display neurological symptoms. The fever lasts only two days and recedes abruptly while other symptoms viz., debilitating joint pain, insomnia, and severe prostration prolong for a few days (5 to 7 days to a few weeks in some cases).
Diagnosis of Chikungunya
Sudden severe headache, chills, fever, joint and muscle pain are the common chikungunya symptoms. Due to similarities in clinical presentation with dengue, limited awareness and lack of lab facilities, chances are there for the misdiagnosis of chikungunya as dengue. The diagnostic tests include the detection of antigens or antibodies in the blood using ELISA or molecular techniques like polymerase chain reaction. The antibodies detected by serological assays like ELISA need an IgM capture assay to distinguish it from dengue fever.
How to Prevent Chikungunya?
As the disease spreads by the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus which are the same mosquitoes that spread dengue too, methods of prevention are the same as those of preventing dengue. A person with chikungunya fever should limit his exposure to mosquito bites to avoid further spreading of infection and should stay indoors preferably under a mosquito net. Homeopathic medicine Eupatorium perfoliatum with a potency of 200C is the prophylactic prescription by some homeopaths. Touch base with a homeopath if you live in an endemic area.
Chikungunya Treatment and Prognosis
No specific chikungunya vaccine or antiviral treatment for chikungunya fever is available in allopathy. Treatment is symptomatic with rest, fluid supplementation, analgesics and antipyretics. Avoid Aspirin. Antimalarial drug Chloroquine Phosphate (250 mg/day) is effective in some cases. Movement and mild exercise may improve stiffness and morning joint pains.
Homeopathic medicines like Eupatorium-perf, Pyroginum, Rhus-tox, Cedron, Influenzinum, China, Arnica, Belladona, Bryonia, etc., may be of use and homeopaths prescribe Eupatorium perf. as preventive medicine for chikungunya. The most suggested potency as prophylaxis is 200C of Eupatorium perf. Eupatorium perfoliatum Q (tincture, 3 to 5 drop dose) will remove the debilitating joint pains.
Chikungunya is a self-limiting infection and most patients recover from chikungunya virus infection over time. They get better after a few days. However, sometimes joint pain can persist for a longer period although other symptoms might have disappeared. This virus can cause thrombocytopenia (decreased platelets) that result in bleeding. Therefore, do not use drugs that further drop the platelets or cause bleeding due to gastric inflammation or ulcer (eg: Aspirin usage).
though brief worth to all specially to those who wants to know
about CHIK .
I wonder anyone can help? I contracted Chikungunya virus while on honeymoon in May last year in Mauritius. It is evidently contracted through a mosquito bite and causes viral arthritis. I am presently being treated by a rheumatoid specialist who seems to have some knowledge of the virus. The prescribed treatment is a course of cortisone and salazopyrin. I have been on the treatment for the past 10 months and the virus has not been cured. I am desperate to get rid of the virus and would like any information about the disease, especially the length of time it can stay in one’s system. If I do not take the treatment, I can barely move because my joints swell. I live in Cape Town Town, South Africa.
Your assistance would be appreciated.
Many thanks
Chantal,
Dr. Narayanasamy has answered your query on Chikungunya. Check it out here at the blog.
my sister in law has got the same problem but she has continue vomiting .it is not coming under control by any medicine .kindly advise any medicine for both the problems
It is not due to the virus the pain is there for years. The virus died on the fourth day itself. Because of the rise in uric acid in the blood and due to the rise of the ESR rate (simply we can say the viscosity or the thickness of the blood ), our mobility becomes hard. Don’t take antibiotics and pain killers too much even if the doctors recommend. Ulcer in stomach will be the result. Take natural medicines as herbs and plants as ayurvedic and sidhdha in India.
I have been suffering the same problem from two months, after the fever I found huge pain and gout attack in my feet ankle. Furthermore my uric acid rose to 9.0, and its still prevailing which creates joint pain in the body. Taking pain killer sometime to lead the normal life. Dont know what to do.
Dear Mr.Herald,
In response to your reply dt 5th May, I like to offer my opinion
on the subject ie treatment for CHIK .
Chikungunya per se is not a disease.
The life time of the Chik virus is short.
The manifestation due to Chik infection is the result of the anti – body & anti – gen reaction.
There needs no prolonged treatment.
It has been observed that Chloquine phosphate / sulphate gives some relief to patients with Chik infection.
Kindly consult your Physician .
With thanks,
Hi Doctor,
It was one of my readers, Chantal, who got affected by Chik on a trip to Mauritius, raised the doubt, and the information provided by you will definitely benefit him, and I’m sure will be a boon. I’ve informed him by commenting here hitting the “reply” button so that a copy of the message will be dropped in his email inbox.
By the way, I’m Raj (not Herald), the author of this blog. (Coincidentally, my dad is R. Narayanaswamy!)
I have been suffering from chickungunya for more than 10 days.
Please suggest me the right medicine to overcome the bone joints pain.
Whatever information you find here is generalized information. The situations may vary from person to person with reference to their personal medical history and so many other factors. No medicine is to be taken without consulting a doctor as any medicine taken without physical examination of your doctor could lead to irreparable damages. Hence for individualized attention, it is best to seek the advice of your family doctor.
HOMEOPATHY & CHIKUNGUNYA – SUCCESS STORY
The history of my dad’s chikungunya attack dates back to our holiday in India (Kerala) during this Jul-Aug 2009 .
Symptoms (From 5th August): High grade fever, severe joints pain, ocular infection, severe body rashes, burning sensation in joints (ankles),insomnia, lack of appetite.
Allopathic medicines prescribed: Panadol,Prednisolone 4mg thrice daily,eye drops, pain relieving injections, chloroquine phosphate,cataflam 50mg and olfen 50 tablets
We reached Bahrain exactly 19 days after the disease onset. The pain worsened in intensity. We visited 2 local hospitals where more pain relievers were given and blood tests conducted for uric acid checks. The results were normal. He resorted to a walking stick and his structure became stooped or bent rightly the meaning of the disease in Swahili language.
He started passing blood through stools a result of abuse of his stomach lining with all these steroids and pain relievers he had during the last month. The ankle pain, his finger joint and morning stiffness became worse and on September 3rd I happened to read about the effectiveness of Homeopathy in curing chikungunya and our immediate thoughts were directed to Dr.Raaj Swetta in Bahrain with whom we were acquainted eversince my first child’s birth.
When Dr.Raaj visited my Dad for the first time, there was inflammation on the ankle joints, a crushing bone pain, feeling of twisted leg and burning sensation on all these painful areas. The joint pain had progressed to all critical areas (knee, shoulder, stiffness of the neck etc). The patient was suffering from the worst insomnia attack, with sleep duration of ½ hour to 1 hour per night. With all the toxic allopathic pain killers and steroids consumed till then, his response to the treatment course was slightly delayed.
The burning sensation was the first to vanish, followed by reducing pain in the joints, bowel movements gained control. Exactly a month after the commencement of the treatment, both the ankle joint pain has been cured completely and the last area of concern was his hands (finger joints, elbow and shoulders which was concentrated during early morning improving during the course of the day.The patient’s gait, posture and speed of walking is now normal. Sleep pattern is qualitative. Along with medications the patient has also practiced a safe and nutritious diet advised by Dr.Raaj who has visited us regularly at home and devoted personalized attention to every detail, accessible round the clock to our family. As a result in almost 40 days from the start of the treatment we are able to see the results of his sincere efforts on the case. We will be ever grateful for the dedicated and diligent approach he has adopted towards this case. Truly he was God sent in our crucial situation.
This detailed narrative or true story of My Dad’s case history is being blogged in detail for the worst sufferers of this disease around the Globe specially in India. It was our fortune to have heard and read about the effectiveness of Homeopathy in controlling this disease. But today we are proud to endorse that with the dedication and effort of a stalwart in this field Dr. Raaj Swetta, he has created a record by curing / solving the case successfully.For free advice Dr. Raaj Swetta can be reached on +973 39692925 or alternately on e-mail id: drraaj at doctor.com
Medications :
• Influenzinum
• Bryonia Alba
• StaphySagria
• Rhustox
• ARNICA
• Gelsemium
• Hypericum
• Calcarea Phosph
• Passiflora
Thanks for sharing this valuable information. Will definitely help someone in need.
I contracted the disease once but need some advice on chikungunya if I happen to contract it again.
As you have contracted it once, your body will have antibodies against CHIKV, and you should be immune to that virus. Hence the chances of you contracting the disease again are less.
Don’t trust the dreaded disease.it is a horrible pain .uric acid levels do go haywire.just hope doctors find a definite cure to eradicate the virus.