5 Facts About Chikungunya That You Should Know
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Over the past couple of weeks, there has been a surge in the number of patients detected with chikungunya. Chikungunya is a mosquito borne viral infection, caused by the same type of mosquito that causes dengue. However, it is not as serious an infection as dengue. Most patients recover from the disease and serious complications are uncommon. Some Chikungunya symptoms can last from weeks to months.
1 . What Is Chikungunya?
Chikungunya is a viral infection that gets transmitted through bite of infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquito. This is the same mosquito that transmits dengue. The infection usually lasts for 7 to 10 days.
2 . What Are The Symptoms?
Most of the people infected by the virus start getting symptoms on 4th to 8th day after getting bitten by the mosquito. Symptoms include:
– Fever: Sudden high-grade fever up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit or 40 degrees Celsius that can last for 3-4 days.
-Severe joint pains: hands, wrists and ankles are most frequently affected. Joint pains can be very severe and disabling. They usually last for a few days beginning after the fever starts. There can be swelling in the joints especially in the morning. In some people, the pain extends to back and knees as well. Sometimes, these joint pains can be very disabling and may last for several weeks.
– Rash: around half of the patients infected develop a rash. This rash appears on the face, arms, legs and back. The rash can be itchy in some patients. The rash usually appears along with the fever and generally lasts for about a week
- Patients also experience headaches, muscle pain, excessive weakness or tiredness
3 . How Is Chikungunya Diagnosed?
-Chikungunya is diagnosed by a blood test.
-The commonly performed test is detection of chikungunya antibodies through ELISA blood test. This test however takes longer.
-There are various virological tests like RT-PCR (Reverse Transcriptase PCR). This test helps in earlier detection of virus in the blood- as early as the first 5 days after the onset of symptoms.
4 . What Is The Treatment?
-There is currently no specific vaccine or antiviral drug against chikungunya.
-Treatment revolves around management of symptoms.
-Joint pain and fever are managed by analgesics like paracetamol.
-Hydration should be maintained by ensuring adequate fluid intake (3-4 liters).
-Since the symptoms are often difficult to differentiate from dengue, hence it is important to not take any painkillers like aspirin, diclofenac and ibuprofen till dengue is ruled out.
5 . What Precautions Should You Take?
The mosquito is active in the daytime, usually more in the early mornings and late evenings. Here are important precautions that you should take:
–Prevent Water Stagnation
Look around the house and get rid of any source of water stagnation since the mosquitoes breed in stagnating water. Drain your buckets of water after bathing or washing ensuring that mugs and buckets are dry. Drain the water from water coolers and keep it dry. Do not over-water potted plants to prevent water stagnation in the soil
– Use Mosquito Nets
Use mosquito nets at night to prevent getting bitten by mosquitoes. You can use them during the day for babies and elderly who tend to take a nap in the afternoon. You should cover up and close any holes in the windows and doors from where mosquitoes might enter. Wire mesh screens can be used on windows to block out mosquitoes.
–Apply Mosquito Repellents
Use mosquito repellent cream especially for kids who go out to play. Mosquito repellent liquidators are also widely available in the market and useful for driving out mosquitoes from the house.
-Cover up
Use full sleeved clothes and full length pants as much as possible so that most areas of your body are well covered. In case you have kids, take special care to ensure their bodies are covered as much as possible.
Stay Healthy, Stay Happy!!!! more
Over the past couple of weeks, there has been a surge in the number of patients detected with chikungunya. Chikungunya is a mosquito borne viral infection, caused by the same type of mosquito that causes dengue. However, it is not as serious an infection as dengue. Most patients recover from the disease and serious complications are uncommon. Some Chikungunya symptoms can last from weeks to months.
1 . What Is Chikungunya?
Chikungunya is a viral infection that gets transmitted through bite of infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquito. This is the same mosquito that transmits dengue. The infection usually lasts for 7 to 10 days.
2 . What Are The Symptoms?
Most of the people infected by the virus start getting symptoms on 4th to 8th day after getting bitten by the mosquito. Symptoms include:
– Fever: Sudden high-grade fever up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit or 40 degrees Celsius that can last for 3-4 days.
-Severe joint pains: hands, wrists and ankles are most frequently affected. Joint pains can be very severe and disabling. They usually last for a few days beginning after the fever starts. There can be swelling in the joints especially in the morning. In some people, the pain extends to back and knees as well. Sometimes, these joint pains can be very disabling and may last for several weeks.
– Rash: around half of the patients infected develop a rash. This rash appears on the face, arms, legs and back. The rash can be itchy in some patients. The rash usually appears along with the fever and generally lasts for about a week
- Patients also experience headaches, muscle pain, excessive weakness or tiredness
3 . How Is Chikungunya Diagnosed?
-Chikungunya is diagnosed by a blood test.
-The commonly performed test is detection of chikungunya antibodies through ELISA blood test. This test however takes longer.
-There are various virological tests like RT-PCR (Reverse Transcriptase PCR). This test helps in earlier detection of virus in the blood- as early as the first 5 days after the onset of symptoms.
4 . What Is The Treatment?
-There is currently no specific vaccine or antiviral drug against chikungunya.
-Treatment revolves around management of symptoms.
-Joint pain and fever are managed by analgesics like paracetamol.
-Hydration should be maintained by ensuring adequate fluid intake (3-4 liters).
-Since the symptoms are often difficult to differentiate from dengue, hence it is important to not take any painkillers like aspirin, diclofenac and ibuprofen till dengue is ruled out.
5 . What Precautions Should You Take?
The mosquito is active in the daytime, usually more in the early mornings and late evenings. Here are important precautions that you should take:
–Prevent Water Stagnation
Look around the house and get rid of any source of water stagnation since the mosquitoes breed in stagnating water. Drain your buckets of water after bathing or washing ensuring that mugs and buckets are dry. Drain the water from water coolers and keep it dry. Do not over-water potted plants to prevent water stagnation in the soil
– Use Mosquito Nets
Use mosquito nets at night to prevent getting bitten by mosquitoes. You can use them during the day for babies and elderly who tend to take a nap in the afternoon. You should cover up and close any holes in the windows and doors from where mosquitoes might enter. Wire mesh screens can be used on windows to block out mosquitoes.
–Apply Mosquito Repellents
Use mosquito repellent cream especially for kids who go out to play. Mosquito repellent liquidators are also widely available in the market and useful for driving out mosquitoes from the house.
-Cover up
Use full sleeved clothes and full length pants as much as possible so that most areas of your body are well covered. In case you have kids, take special care to ensure their bodies are covered as much as possible.
Stay Healthy, Stay Happy!!!! more
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How long fever takes to recede? My 8 year old daughter diagnosed with Chikingunia. Now its 15th day of Fever. She doesn't have much pain. Some pain is there in foot and hands but she need not to take combiflam as yet. Whether some other fever can also join with Chikingunia? Hoeopathic treatment is also going on simultaniously. more
Sep 12
SIR, WHAT IS THE HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT FOR BODY/FINGERS/FOOT PAIN IN CHECKENGUNIA AFTER FEVER IS GONE. I HAD TAKEN RUSTOX 30, 4TIME A DAY FOR FIVE DAYS BUT NO RESULT. WHAT AYURVEDIC MEDICENE LIKE NILAVEMBU AVAILABLE IN NORTH INDIA. PLEASE REPLY. D K GUPTA more
Sep 12
Pritam Ji,Somebody as my friend told me taking Alcohols & Beers keeps away Mosquitoes from our Body so I realized that most of our Workers & Labours get used to it on Daily Basis and spoils their Daily Earnings in consuming ALCOHOLS for removing Mosquitoes and hence spoiling their body/Strength also by taking improper FOODS. How much it is true about MOSQUITO V/s ALCOHOL War. In INDIA Consumption of ALCOHOL may be more than 10,000,000 Ltrs Daily. more
Sep 10
Take Nilavembu kudineer Siddha formulation daily 60 ml in empty stomach.Take Ashwagandha powder and seenthil chooranam each 3 gms twice after food more
Sep 10
For Chikungunia, Dengue or any viral fever and cold, we regularly use a herbal medicine. We are five in our family from 10 years to 67 years.For any of the said fever we use only Nilavembu Kudineer. This is a mixture of 9 herbs which is available throughout Tamilnadu including Chennai( In herbal medical shops). 10gms of this is to be boiled in 500ml of water and reduce it to 125ml decoction. 60 ml decoction need to be consumed after food. This is to be taken two times a day for 3/5 days depending upon the intensity of the fever.If this is consumed when feverishness is felt, instant relief can be expected. I feel one should possess one pocket of this medicine always .This comes in 100gm as well as in 50 gm pockets. more
Sep 06
