Chikungunya
Chikungunya is a disease transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. Chikungunya also shares some clinical signs with dengue and can be misdiagnosed where dengue is common. The infection caused by Chikungunya virus is was first described in East Africa in 1952. The virus is transmitted by mosquitoes and belongs to the family Togaviridae in the genus Alphavirus.

Mode Of Transmission
Humans are infected when Aedes aegypti and albopictus mosquitoes, containing Chikungunya virus, bite humans and the viruses are trasmitted during the bloodmeal. The viruses then multiply in humans and can then be picked up by other uninfected mosquitoes when they bite infected humans.

Chikungunya virus infection is not considered to be contagious because there is no direct human to human transfer of Chikungunya viruses, so infected individuals cannot directly transfer the virus to another human because the virus has to pass through a mosquito first. However, outbreaks can occur in populations where a number of both mosquitoes and humans are infected with the virus.

Symptoms
Usually the symptoms will develop within 3 to 7 days after a bite by an infected mosquito. The most common symptoms are fever and join pain or the individual may develop such headache, muscle pain, join swelling or rash.

The symptoms are similar to dengue fever that is also spread by same mosquitoes.


Some rare complications include:-

• Eye problems
• Inflammation of the heart, liver, brain, skin, kidneys and nerves.

Prevention

No vaccince exists to prevent chikungunya virus infection or disease. Prevent chikungunya virus infection by avoiding mosquito bites and mosquitoes that spread the chikungunya virus bite mostly during daytime. 

• Use air conditioning or window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside. Or sleep under a mosquito bed net.
• Help reduce the number of mosquitoes outside your home by emptying standing water from containers such as flowerpots or buckets.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
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