Chikungunya is an infection caused by the Chikungunya virus. It features sudden onset fever usually lasting two to seven days, and joint pains typically lasting weeks or months but sometimes years. The mortality rate is a little less than 1 in 1000, with the elderly most likely to die.
The virus is passed to humans by two species of mosquito of the genus Aedes: A. albopictus and A. aegypti. The strain of chikungunya spreading to the US from the Caribbean is most easily spread by A. aegypti. Concern exists that this strain of chikungunya could mutate to make the A. albopictus vector more efficient. If this mutation were to occur, chikungunya would be more of a public health concern to the US because the A. albopictus or Asian tiger mosquito is more widespread in the US and is more aggressive than the A. aegypti. Animal reservoirs of the virus include monkeys, birds, cattle, and rodents. This is in contrast to dengue, for which only humans and primates are hosts. The best means of prevention is overall mosquito control and the avoidance of bites by any infected mosquitoes. No specific treatment is known, but medications can be used to reduce symptoms. Rest and fluids may also be useful. ..... Common laboratory tests for chikungunya include RT-PCR, virus isolation, and serological tests. ....... See http://www.caribbeanaffairs.info/Chikungunya.html *If you have chronic disease like diabete, Chikungunya virus could be dangerous* *See also http://travel.gc.ca/travelling/health-safety/diseases/chikungunya <http://travel.gc.ca/travelling/health-safety/diseases/chikungunya>* -- -- [CMLHope] A support group of http://cmlhope.com ------------------------------------------------- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CMLHope" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/CMLHope --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CMLHope" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
