Chikungunya is a viral disease caused by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, a type of mosquito that is widespread in tropical countries, such as Brazil, and is responsible for other diseases such as dengue or Zika, for example.
Symptoms of chikungunya may vary slightly from case to case, and between men and women, but the most typical are:
- In women.
- Most red spots on the body.
- Vomiting.
- Bleeding and mouth sores.
- While in men and the elderly.
- The most common are joint pain and swelling and fever that can last several days.
Since there is no specific treatment for this disease, the body needs to eliminate the virus, with a single treatment to relieve symptoms. Also, since there is no vaccine against the disease, the most reliable way to prevent the disease is to avoid mosquito bites. See 8 simple strategies to avoid mosquito bites.
In the vast majority of cases, symptoms go away 14 days or even earlier if proper treatment is started with rest and medication to relieve discomfort.
However, several people also reported that some symptoms persisted for more than 3 months, characterizing a chronic phase of the disease. At this point, the most common symptom is persistent joint pain, but other signs may also appear, such as:
The chronic phase can last up to 6 years, and it may be necessary to use medicines to treat these and other symptoms, as well as physiotherapy sessions to relieve pain and improve movement.
Diagnosis can be made by a family doctor using the person’s signs and symptoms and/or by blood test that helps guide the treatment of the disease.
Up to 30% of infected people have no symptoms and the disease is discovered during a blood test, which can be ordered for other reasons.
In rare cases, chikungunya develops without fever or joint pain, but the following changes may occur, indicating that the disease is severe and that the person should be hospitalized:
These symptoms are rare, but can occur in some people, caused by the virus itself, by the response of the person’s immune system or by the use of medications.
The main form of transmission of Chikungunya is through the bite of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which is the same one that transmits dengue. However, during pregnancy, if the mosquito bites the pregnant woman, chikungunya can also pass to the baby at the time of delivery.
This disease, similar to dengue, Zika and Mayaro, is not transmitted from person to person.
Treatment usually lasts about 15 days and is done with the use of analgesic medications, such as acetaminophen or acetaminophen, to relieve fever, fatigue and headaches. In case of extreme pain, your doctor may recommend the use of other more powerful medications for pain and inflammation. However, over-the-counter medications are not recommended, as this can lead to serious changes, such as hepatitis medications.
The duration of treatment depends on the age of the infected person, the young people take an average of 7 days to heal, while the elderly can take up to 3 months. See more details about the treatment and remedies used.
In addition to medications, other important tips are to put cold compresses on your joints, to relieve swelling and discomfort, as well as drink fluids and rest, to allow your body to recover more easily.
See these and other tips in the video below
The symptoms and form of treatment during pregnancy are the same but the disease can pass to the baby during childbirth, with a risk of contamination of 50% of the baby, however, very rarely can an abortion occur.
When the baby is infected, he or she may have symptoms such as fever, refusal to breastfeed, swelling of the limbs of the hands and feet, as well as spots on the skin. Despite the girl’s lack of appetite, she may continue to breastfeed because the virus does not pass into breast milk. In children under 2 years of age, your doctor may decide to have the child admitted to the hospital for treatment.
Chikungunya fever in newborns can be serious and cause serious complications as the central nervous system may be affected with the possibility of seizures, meningoencephalitis, cerebral edema, intracranial hemorrhage. Bleeding and heart damage may also occur with ventricular dysfunction and pericarditis.