Chikungunya Virus: Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment

Symptoms

Most people infected with chikungunya virus will develop some symptoms. Symptoms usually begin 3–7 days after an infected mosquito bites you.

• The most common symptoms are fever and joint pain.
  • Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash.
• People at risk for more severe disease include newborns infected around the time of birth, older adults (≥65 years), and people with medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease.
• Most patients feel better within a week. However, joint pain can be severe and disabling and may persist for months.
• Death from chikungunya is rare.

Diagnosis

See your healthcare provider if you have visited an area where chikungunya virus is found and have symptoms described above.

• Tell your healthcare provider when and where you traveled.
• Your healthcare provider might order blood tests to look for chikungunya or other similar viruses like dengue and Zika.

Treatment

• There is currently no medicine to treat chikungunya.
• Rest, fluids, and over-the-counter pain medications may relieve some symptoms.
  • Take medicine such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or paracetamol to reduce fever and pain.
  • Do not take aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) until dengue can be ruled out to reduce the risk of bleeding.
• If you have chikungunya, prevent mosquito bites for the first week of your illness.
  • During the first week of illness, chikungunya virus can be found in the blood. The virus can be passed from an infected person to a mosquito through mosquito bites.
  • An infected mosquito can then spread the virus to other people.