Doc Alan
17th July 2013, 17:03
A few hundred suspected or confirmed cases of Chikungunya have recently been reported in Antique and North Cotabato. There was a thread on the Forum last October about another outbreak.
In the past decade or so, this viral infection, transmitted by Aedes spp mosquitoes, has re-emerged in Africa, southern and southeastern Asia, and the Indian Ocean Islands, as the cause of large outbreaks of human disease.
There is typically fever, headache, muscle pains, rash, and both acute and persistent joint pains.
Diagnosis may be confirmed by blood tests.
It’s similar to dengue but relatively uncommon, and less serious. The virus was isolated in Africa 60 years ago and the word means " to walk bent over " , because of joint pains.
Prevention is by protection against mosquito bites and mosquito control.
There’s no vaccine and no specific treatment, but recovery from an infection seems to confer lifelong immunity.
• ANY traveller returning to the UK who has or develops a fever or other signs and symptoms should of course attend their doctor. Chikungunya is – rightly – not the first condition the doctor will consider – we were taught at medical school that " common illnesses occur commonly ". However, they should be aware of the condition ! It may be hard to distinguish from dengue but supportive treatment is the same ( paracetamol/acetaminophen, NOT aspirin ; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen ), and maintaining body fluids.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/316116/news/regions/chikungunya-downs-100-students-in-n-cotabato
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/439155/more-provinces-grapple-with-chikungunya-cases
http://www.who.int/denguecontrol/arbo-viral/other_arboviral_chikungunya/en/
In the past decade or so, this viral infection, transmitted by Aedes spp mosquitoes, has re-emerged in Africa, southern and southeastern Asia, and the Indian Ocean Islands, as the cause of large outbreaks of human disease.
There is typically fever, headache, muscle pains, rash, and both acute and persistent joint pains.
Diagnosis may be confirmed by blood tests.
It’s similar to dengue but relatively uncommon, and less serious. The virus was isolated in Africa 60 years ago and the word means " to walk bent over " , because of joint pains.
Prevention is by protection against mosquito bites and mosquito control.
There’s no vaccine and no specific treatment, but recovery from an infection seems to confer lifelong immunity.
• ANY traveller returning to the UK who has or develops a fever or other signs and symptoms should of course attend their doctor. Chikungunya is – rightly – not the first condition the doctor will consider – we were taught at medical school that " common illnesses occur commonly ". However, they should be aware of the condition ! It may be hard to distinguish from dengue but supportive treatment is the same ( paracetamol/acetaminophen, NOT aspirin ; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen ), and maintaining body fluids.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/316116/news/regions/chikungunya-downs-100-students-in-n-cotabato
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/439155/more-provinces-grapple-with-chikungunya-cases
http://www.who.int/denguecontrol/arbo-viral/other_arboviral_chikungunya/en/