Chikungunya

Chikungunya is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti  as well as the Aedes albopictus mosquito.  These mosquitoes bite mostly during the day, with peak activity two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset.

The disease was first recorded in 1952 and has affected millions of people Africa and Asia.  The word Chikungunya means ‘that which bends up’ in Kimakonde, a language spoken by an African tribe from the eastern border between Mozambique and Tanzania.  It describes the stooped appearance of sufferers with joint pain (arthralgia).

Signs and symptoms usually appear 3 – 7 days after being bitten by the mosquito, They can include  sudden high fever, severe headaches, pain behind the eyes which worsens with eye movements, muscle pain, stiff and painful joints especially of the wrists, knuckles and ankles, measles like rash on the chest and upper limbs, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting.

There are no antiviral drugs to treat Chikungunya.  Any treatment used is symptomatic and can include rest, fluids and medication for fever and pain.

Between the years 2014 and 2021 in Barbados, there were 221 confirmed cases, over 2000 suspected cases and 2 deaths.