Everything you need to know about chikungunya
Are you planning a summer holiday abroad? Our Travel Clinic has some guidance to chikungunya.
What is Chikungunya?
Chikungunya is a virus spread by mosquitos, especially day biting mosquitos. It takes about 4 to 8 days for symptoms to develop, and these can include fever, joint pains, muscle pain, headache and rashes. The symptoms usually resolve after one to two weeks but some people have persisting joint pains, which can last months or years and cause long term disability.
Chikungunya can be diagnosed with blood tests . There is no specific treatment for the virus but medications to help with the symptoms may be needed.
Where could you catch it?
Chikungunya occurs in tropical and subtropical areas and has been spreading in recent decades. Recent large outbreaks have occurred in India, the Pacific islands, the Caribbean, Central America and South America, but there have also been smaller outbreaks in France and Italy.
Reduce the risk
The main way to reduce the risk of catching chikungunya is avoidance of mosquito bites. We can give you detailed advice about this in travel clinic. A new vaccine is also available. We can assess whether this would be suitable for you and administer the vaccine in our clinic.
Symptoms
If you have fevers or feel unwell following travel you should seek medical advice urgently. Patients who are unwell can be referred to our NHS infectious diseases clinic, where we provide expert assessment and testing.