Chikungunya

Chikungunya, a metazoonosis, is caused by chikungunya virus belonging to genus Alphavirus of the family Togavirideae. The virus is transmitted by infected mosquitoes of Aedes, Culex and Mansonia genera and may affect man, baboon, monkeys and wild animals. The cases of chikungunya fever are reported almost every year in India.

There is a sudden onset of fever with chills, anorexia accompanied by frequent adenopathy, swelling of joints and rashes on the body. Conjunctivitis may also occur. The infection in animals usually remains asymptomatic. The disease can be diagnosed by isolation of virus by inoculating the blood sample of febrile patients in vero cell culture and suckling mice. Complement fixation, haemagglutination inhibition and serum neutralization tests are used for serodiagnosis. Control of mosquito vectors and protection from their bite are the important measures can help to reduce the incidence of disease.