Chikungunya carried by the same mosquito named Aedes aegypti (image credit to doctor2008.wordpress.com)

Chikungunya attacks can cause sudden onset of fever until the temperature can reach 39 Celsius degrees. This fever accompanied by chills and pain in the joints. This virus was first discovered in Africa in 1952, and then spread to several countries. Chikungunya is derived from the Shawill language which means twisted or curved body. So called because most people would crouch for help feeling pain in bones and joints.

Many people think the disease is similar to dengue fever. Both do have similar symptoms, and carried by the same mosquito named Aedes aegypti. But the type of viruses their carried are different. Chikungunya is caused by Alphavirus.

Chikungunya Symptoms

The main symptoms of this disease is the body suddenly felt a fever accompanied by pain in the joints. While the typical symptoms of this disease is joint and bone pains felt sore and aching. Especially in the knee joints, spine, wrist, fingers and toes. that’s why this disease is also often referred to as avian bone. Other symptoms such as loss of taste on the tongue until the nausea accompanied by vomiting.

In children, symptoms appear such as:
Sudden onset of fever and the skin becomes red. After 3 – 5 days will appear reddish spots. The eyes become red accompanied by signs such as the flu. High fever is sometimes also lead to seizures.

In contrast to dengue fever, Chikungunya in the case did not find any bleeding, shock and death.

Incubation period

Chikungunya disease incubation period can be 2 – 4 days. While the manifestations of this disease will last for 3 – 10 days. These diseases include self-limiting disease, which can resolve on their own without treatment. The good news, this disease is difficult to attack the same person. This means that people who ever attacked by Chikungunya, was unlikely to experience this pain again. Because the patient’s body already has an antibodies that can make their bodies become resistant to this disease.

Chikungunya Transmission

Chikungunya is caused by Alphavirus (image credit to rosiadha.wordpress.com)

In fact Chikungunya transmission by mosquitoes and not caused by a sick patient. So if a family member is sick, then spread to other family members, it was not caused by their sick first, but most likely caused by the same mosquito that then bites the other family members.

Chikungunya Treatment

Treatment of this disease is only a symptomatic therapy or eliminate the symptoms of the disease, such as giving pain medicines or fever with similar paracetamol. Make it more secure but you should not use the drug asetosal types. Antibiotics are not needed for the treatment of this disease. To obtain an accurate diagnosis, to do some tests such serologic Agglutination test resistance (HI), serum neutralization, etc. But this serologic test is only useful for epidemiological and research purposes. And it is not useful for daily practical clinical purpose.

Keep the patient gets enough time to rest. Get nutritious food intake and drink enough. Foods that contain lots of protein and carbohydrates are good for improving stamina. Do not worry if you are attacked by Chikungunya. Because the disease is not to cause death. feeling pain in the joints and bones will also not result in paralysis. Once cured, the patient can move his body back to normal. Although in some cases, a sense of stiffness, aches and pains still appear until a few days to many months. This condition usually occurs in people who previously have a history of rheumatic diseases and muscle pain.

The time needed to recover the total depending on the age of the patient. The older age of the patient to eat the longer the time needed to heal.

Prevention

To decide the chain of transmission of Chikungunya disease is to eradicate Aedes aegypti mosquito breeding.