Chikungunya is the name of an infection caused by a
virus. This virus is called Chikv. It is an RNA virus that belongs to the
alphavirus family because this virus is transmitted by mosquitoes to healthy
humans. Therefore, it is what Arbovirus is also called. This disease broke out in
Tanzania in 1952 and appeared in public for the first time.
Since then, the disease has emerged in epidemic form
in many places in Africa and Asia. Chikungunya viruses are also spread by the
mosquito that spreads dengue fever. This mosquito is called Aedes ajitopener.
Although recently Six other mosquito species have also been found to help
spread the chikungunya virus, but their contribution is minor.
The original mosquito is Aedes, which spreads the
virus. The chicken gonorrhea virus enters the human skin and enters the blood
through the bite of an infected mosquito. It develops in the human skin,
internal membranes, and flesh, ie muscles. During the acute phase of the
disease, the virus is found in the muscles and joints, causing joint pain to be
a prominent symptom of the disease.
The Aedes mosquito usually bites during the day,
from sunrise to sunset, but symptoms usually appear in two to three days after
a mosquito bite, while this interval can also be one to twelve days. That is,
in people. The disease is asymptomatic, but 72% to 97% of patients develop
symptoms.
The typical symptoms of this disease include high
fever, joint and muscle pain, black and red spots on the body, and mouth ulcers,
while other symptoms include headache, fatigue, digestive disorders, and red
eyes. Swelling may also occur.
This disease starts with a high fever which can be
up to 104 degrees Celsius. There are two phases or stages of this fever. After
the first phase, the fever goes down but after some time it rises again. After
the fever, the joints There is severe pain and stiffness that can last for
weeks, months, or even years. Joint pain can paralyze the patient to the point of
near disability, making it impossible to move the joint.
Most of the joints of the arms and legs are affected
by this disease. If the joints are already affected by any disease, the pain in
the joints is very painful. Along with the joints, there is also pain in the
muscles and tendons.
About fifty percent of patients develop red and
black spots or rashes on their bodies. These symptoms appear two to five days
after the onset of fever.
Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may
also occur. Due to fatigue and pain, the patient feels difficulty walking.
Brain symptoms may also appear, but their rate is very low. Inflammation and
paralysis can occur, but the chances of this are very low. Unlike dengue fever,
the body does not bleed during chikungunya. In elderly patients, the symptoms
of joint and muscle pain continue for years, but The exact reasons why
pain persists for years are still unknown.
The disease is mostly transmitted by mosquitoes but
there are chances that it can be transmitted from the mother to the baby during
pregnancy or delivery.
When the disease takes an epidemic form, sick people
become the source of spreading the disease through mosquitoes, but under normal
conditions, monkeys, birds, and other animals with backbones are safe reservoirs
of the virus of this disease.
The chance of dying from this disease is one in
1000. Infants, children, the elderly, and people with pre-existing chronic
diseases are at higher risk of developing severe disease.
It is believed that once infected, the patient is
protected from another attack for life, but there is not much concrete
information about this. Chikungunya is diagnosed by symptoms and laboratory
tests.
The disease is diagnosed when the laboratory detects
viral RNA or antibodies against the virus in the blood. Although the virus can
be isolated from the blood, this is a long-term test that involves two tests.
May take up to a week.
There is no officially approved vaccine for
chikungunya available in the market, so the most important and best way to
prevent the disease lies in avoiding a germ-contaminated environment and mosquito
bites, and the elimination of mosquito breeding sites is an important link in this
chain.
For this purpose, water should not be allowed to
accumulate in houses, offices, and shops and coils, sprays, and lotions can be
used to prevent mosquitoes. The use of full-sleeved shirts and pants or pajamas
also prevents mosquito bites. Mosquitoes can be prevented from entering the
house by putting nets on the windows and doors of the houses.
Put a mosquito net while sleeping at night. No
specific treatment for chicken gonia has been discovered yet. If any treatment
is given, only the symptoms are treated. For fever and joint pain, Rafi fever
and Rafi pain medicines are given. Drink more water and drinks.
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