Causes of Chikungunya Disease

Chikungunya is a virus infection in humans. The term chikungunya is derived from a word in the Kimakonde language that means "Bends up". Chikungunya is caused by the pathogen called Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). The virus gets transmitted from one person to another through the bite of mosquitoes -Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.

What are the Causes of Chikungunya?

The main cause of Chikungunya is the infection with the CHIKV virus. A healthy person can contract the disease by the bite of the Aedes mosquito. When a mosquito carrying the CHIKV virus bites a person, the virus gets transmitted to that individual.

Bodily contact or the saliva of the infected person does not spread this disease. However, blood transmission of the diseased person can lead to transmission of infection.

Chikungunya causes the below-listed issues:

● Sudden onset of fever above 102°F, mostly

● Joint pains

● Headache

● Myalgia

● Conjunctivitis

● Body rashes

● Vomiting

● Nausea

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, although most people show symptoms of this virus, 3% to 28% infected with Chikungunya remain asymptomatic.

Conclusion

Chikungunya virus detection through the blood test can be done in the first few days of infection. Now that we know Chikungunya is caused by which mosquito, let us make sure to clean up every possible breeding site of these insects. Health insurance provides financial support for timely testing and treatment, ensuring better health outcomes.

There is no specific anti-viral drug available for Chikungunya. So, treatment involves relieving the symptoms through prescription medications. The disease may impact the overall life quality of a person, as joint pain is one of the persistent aftermaths of this disease.