Chikungunya - Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

Chikungunya

Introduction to Chikungunya

Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans by the bite of infected Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes. Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a member of the genus Alphavirus, in the family Togaviridae. CHIKV was first isolated from the blood of a febrile patient in Tanzania in 1953, and has since been identified repeatedly in west, central and southern Africa and many areas of Asia, and has been cited as the cause of numerous human epidemics in those areas since that time. The virus circulates throughout much of Africa, with transmission thought to occur mainly between mosquitoes and monkeys.

Symptoms of Chikungunya

Symptoms of Chikungunya includes debilitating arthralgia (joint pain), swelling of joints, stiffness of joints, myalgia (muscular pain), headache, fatigue (weakness), nausea, vomiting and rash and fever.

The incubation period (time from infection to illness) can be 2-12 days, but is usually 3-7 days. "Silent" CHIKV infections (infections without illness) do occur; but how commonly this happens is not yet known.

Acute chikungunya fever typically lasts a few days to a couple of weeks, but some patients have prolonged fatigue lasting several weeks. Additionally, some patients have reported incapacitating joint pain, or arthritis which may last for weeks or months. No deaths, neuro-invasive cases, or hemorrhagic cases related to CHIKV infection have been conclusively documented in the scientific literature.

CHIKV infection (whether clinical or silent) is thought to confer life-long immunity.

Spread of Chikungunya

CHIKV is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on a person infected with CHIKV. Monkeys, and possibly other wild animals, may also serve as reservoirs of the virus. Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to other humans when they bite. Aedes aegypti (the yellow fever mosquito), a household container breeder and aggressive daytime biter which is attracted to humans, is the primary vector of CHIKV to humans. Aedes albopictus (the Asian tiger mosquito) may also play a role in human transmission in Asia, and various forest-dwelling mosquito species in Africa have been found to be infected with the virus.

Treatment of Chikungunya

Homeopathy has effective treatment for Chikungunya. After diagnosis of Chikungunya, homeopathic treatment should be started as early as possible. Homeopathic treatment can also be given along with conventional treatment if desired. Conventional treatment consists of only symptomatic treatment of fever, joint stiffness, joint pain of this viral illness, whereas homeopathic treatment gives better and long lasting relief from the symptoms. Effective remedy can be chosen by a homeopathic doctor according to clinical picture of that particular case. Homeopathic pills are simply chewed (dissolved) on tongue and are sweet in taste. Homeopathic medicines do not cause gastric irritation, are safe on kidneys and liver even when taken for long duration. Individual case study, preparing and shipping the Chikungunya treatment to your address worldwide is available from our clinic. Click here to sign-up for treatment.

Homeopathic medicines are equally effective for post-chikungunya complaints like weakness, stiffness in joints, muscles pain etc. Infected persons should be protected from further mosquito exposure (staying indoors and/or under a mosquito net during the first few days of illness) so that they can't contribute to the transmission cycle.

Prevention of Chikungunya

The best way to avoid CHIKV infection is to prevent mosquito bites.

Prevention tips:

  • Use mosquito repellent on exposed skin.
  • Wear long sleeves shirts and pants.
  • Have secure screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out.
  • Get rid of mosquito breeding sites by emptying standing water from flower pots, buckets and barrels. Change the water in pet dishes and replace the water in bird baths weekly. Drill holes in tire swings so water drains out.
  • Additionally, a person with chikungunya fever should limit their exposure to mosquito bites in order to avoid further spreading the infection. The person should stay indoors or under a mosquito net.

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