Chikungunya

Chikungunya is a viral disease spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. It belongs to the same family of viruses that also cause Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus.

The mosquitoes that can spread chikungunya virus are:

• Aedes aegypti
• Aedes albopictus

These are the same mosquitoes that can carry the dengue virus.

Where it is found

Overseas, chikungunya virus is found mostly in West and East Africa, around the Indian Ocean, Asia, and South East Asia. Between 2012 and 2014 there were outbreaks of chikungunya in a number of Pacific island countries.

Since 1990 there have been very few cases of chikungunya reported in the Northern Territory (NT) each year. All of these cases were acquired outside Australia.

Aedes albopictus is found in a number of islands in the Torres Strait, but is absent from the rest of Australia.

Aedes aegypti is found routinely in Northern Queensland.

How it is spread

The virus is spread to humans when an infected mosquito bites a human. It cannot be spread directly from person to person.

Other primates can also be infected.

Symptoms

Symptoms start 3 to 12 days after being bitten by a mosquito.

You may have flu-like symptoms such as:

• fever
• chills
• muscle aches.

Other symptoms include:

• sudden severe headache
• flat rash on the arms, legs and trunk,
• fatigue
• nausea
• vomiting.

The initial symptoms last for about 3 to 5 days, and if a rash occurs, it usually lasts about 2 to 3 days.

Pain or inflammation of the small joints of the hands and feet will occur in about 80% of cases. Unlike dengue fever, when you have chikungunya the joint pains can sometimes last for weeks or months.

Symptoms can be very similar to dengue fever or Ross River virus, so it is important to get a blood test to find out which type of mosquito borne disease you may have.

Treatment

There is no specific treatment or vaccine for chikungunya disease.

Medicines such as painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs can be given to help relieve the symptoms.

Prevention

The main prevention measure for all mosquito borne diseases is to avoid being bitten and remove potential breeding sites.

Read more about protection against mosquitoes .

Measures to reduce the risk of chikungunya entering the NT are:

• preventing the importation of infected mosquitoes on vessels and aircraft or receptacles as drought resistant eggs
• treat any receptacles entering the NT from Queensland with a chlorine/detergent solution to kill potential mosquito eggs
• preventing establishment of the mosquitoes that can carry the virus
• conducting exotic mosquito surveillance throughout the NT

Information for health professionals

To find out more go to the NT Health website.

Contact

For more information contact your nearest Centre for Disease Control.