Never take mosquitoes lightly. Although small in size, these flying pests can leave you infected with severe viral infections. Dengue, malaria, and chikungunya are some of the vector diseases that are spread by mosquito bites.
If you think that residing in India, you need to be worried about dengue and malaria, then you are mistaken! Chikungunya has turned out to be another monstrous mosquito-borne disease catching up in India at a rapid speed, especially during the monsoon season.
Chikungunya was first detected in Tanzania in 1952. Slowly, more and more cases were reported in Africa, Europe, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, and the Indian Ocean regions.
Be it your concern about which mosquito spreads chikungunya or how to cure chikungunya, we will throw light on everything related to this mosquito-borne disease in this post.
- What is Chikungunya?
- 10 Chikungunya Symptoms
- Chikungunya Causes
- Chikungunya Treatment
- Chikungunya Vaccination
- Diagnosis of Chikungunya
- Recovery from Chikungunya
- Chikungunya Risk Factors
- Prevention for Chikungunya
- Diet for a Chikungunya Patient
- Foods to Avoid in Chikungunya
What is Chikungunya?
Chikungunya is a vector disease that is caused due to CHIKV or Chikungunya Virus. This virus is mainly transmitted to human beings through a mosquito bite. CHIKV is a virus that belongs to the Togaviridae family and genus Alphavirus.
The term ‘Chikungunya’ is derived from the Kimakonde language, which means “stooped walk” or “bends you up”. The major cases of Chikungunya are reported in Africa and Asia.
10 Chikungunya Symptoms
So, how do you get to know that you are either suffering from dengue or chikungunya? The confusion arises because both are caused by the same mosquito, Aedes Aegypti. Following are the signs and symptoms of chikungunya fever:
- Severe joint pain
- Muscle pain
- Swelling
- Headache
- Nausea
- Red rash
- Fatigue
- High Fever
- Vomiting
- Conjunctivitis
Also Read: How To Protect Yourself & Your Family From Mosquitoes
Chikungunya Causes
Chikungunya is caused by which mosquito? Two mosquitoes may cause this vector disease, and they are Aedes Albopictus and Aedes Aegypti. However, not all such mosquito bites cause this viral infection. It is caused only if the Chikungunya mosquito bite is by an infected mosquito.
The good news is that chikungunya is not a communicable disease that spreads from one person to another. As we mentioned earlier, the main culprit of the spread of chikungunya is the infected mosquito Aedes.
Chikungunya Treatment
There is no proper treatment for chikungunya. All a patient can depend on for a cure is a therapeutic option. A combination of rest, fluid, and acetaminophen drugs can help recover from chikungunya within 10- 14 days.
The main focus of any treatment that your healthcare provider may suggest would be on relieving the symptoms of chikungunya. Doctors believe that chikungunya is one of those self-remitting diseases like the common cold, and flu.
Chikungunya Vaccination
Unfortunately, we don’t have a chikungunya vaccine to date. Although much research is conducted in this regard to develop a successful vaccine for chikungunya. So, prevention against mosquito bites is believed to be the only way to keep chikungunya at bay.
Diagnosis of Chikungunya
The symptoms of chikungunya are usually detected 3 to 5 days after the viral infection. The moment you experience any of the early signs mentioned above, you must consult a doctor and get tested for chikungunya.
The doctor is most likely to prescribe you some blood tests to diagnose whether it is chikungunya, zika, or dengue. Remember, early detection of chikungunya makes way for an early and smooth recovery without severe complications.
Recovery from Chikungunya
In many cases, the signs of chikungunya start subsiding within 1 to 2 weeks. However, the joint pain, also known as chronic chikungunya arthritis caused due to this viral infection takes months and even years to completely subside.
The following tips will help a chikungunya patient to recover fast:
- Drinking plenty of healthy fluids and water
- Taking ample amount of rest and avoiding exertion
- Taking paracetamol or acetaminophen after consulting a doctor to control fever and body ache
- Do not self-medicate
- Do not take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines or aspirin without consulting a doctor
Chikungunya Risk Factors
Chikungunya can infect anyone irrespective of gender, age, or region.
The following people are at a higher risk of contracting chikungunya viral fever:
- Elderly over 65 years of age
- People suffering from hypertension
- People suffering from diabetes
- People suffering from cardiovascular diseases
- People suffering from chronic kidney disease
- People living near open drains and stagnant water
- Obese people
- New-born babies
Prevention for Chikungunya
As they say that prevention is always better than the cure, so it is in the case of mosquito-borne diseases like chikungunya. Try to follow these precautions to keep the risk of chikungunya at bay:
- Wear full-length clothes
- Keep your windows and doors closed especially in the evening
- Do not keep stagnant water in or around your house
- Install effective mosquito repellents like AutoMos mosquito repellent dispenser
- Get professional mosquito pest control
Also Read: Benefits of Professional Mosquito Control Service
Diet for a Chikungunya Patient
To ensure a faster recovery from chikungunya, a patient must be given the following food items:
- Giloy juice
- Coconut water
- Herbal tea
- Papaya leaf extract
- Healthy soups
- Green leafy vegetables like broccoli, and spinach
- Fresh fruits rich in vitamin C like oranges
- Omega-3-rich foods like almonds, and walnuts
- Home cooked food
Foods to Avoid in Chikungunya
It is equally important to restraint some particular foods from the diet of a chikungunya patient like:
- Oily and fried food
- Spicy food
- Junk food
- Processed and unhealthy food
- Non-vegetarian food
- Eatables from outside
- Stale food
Conclusion
In a nutshell, there is no fool-proof way to prevent chikungunya fever infection. What you can do is control mosquitoes indoors by booking mosquito control treatments from the pioneers in pest control like HiCare. If you can’t afford to get complete mosquito pest control, try buying the super saver 365 days pack of AutoMos to keep mosquitoes away 24×7 all round the year. When going outdoors try to protect yourself and your kids from mosquito bites by using mosquito roll-ons or by wearing full-length clothes.