About Chikungunya Virus

Key points

• Chikungunya virus spreads to people through the bite of an infected mosquito.
• Symptoms can include fever, joint pain, headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, and rash.
• No medicines are available to treat chikungunya virus disease (chikungunya).
• The best way to prevent chikungunya is to prevent mosquito bites and get vaccinated before traveling, if vaccination is recommended for you.

Overview

Chikungunya is a disease caused by a virus spread by infected mosquitoes. Outbreaks of chikungunya virus have occurred in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. There is a risk the virus can spread to unaffected areas by infected travelers.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of chikungunya are fever and joint pain. Other symptoms can include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash.

Keep ReadingSymptoms of Chikungunya

How it spreads

Chikungunya virus spreads to people through the bites of infected mosquitoes. During the first week of illness, people sick with chikungunya can spread the virus to uninfected mosquitoes.

Keep ReadingChikungunya: Causes and How It Spreads

Prevention

The best way to prevent chikungunya is to protect yourself from mosquito bites. Vaccination is recommended for some travelers.

If you have chikungunya, prevent mosquito bites for the first week of your illness to avoid spreading virus to uninfected mosquitoes.

Keep ReadingPreventing Chikungunya

Testing and diagnosis

See your healthcare provider if you have symptoms after visiting an area at risk for chikungunya virus.

For Health Care ProvidersClinical Testing and Diagnosis for Chikungunya Virus Disease

Treatment

No medicines are available to treat chikungunya. Rest, fluids, and over-the-counter pain medicines can relieve some symptoms.

• Take medicine such as acetaminophen or paracetamol to reduce fever and pain.
• Do not take aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), such as ibuprofen, until dengue can be ruled out to reduce the risk of bleeding.

For healthcare providers: Treatment and Prevention of Chikungunya Virus Disease

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