Chikungunya: Is the disease fatal? Know all about the risk groups - India Today

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With the transmission of various mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria and chikungunya, several questions related to their fatalities and risk groups often re-surface. Apprehensions are common in cases when the infectious disease does not have any type of vaccine to protect the individuals at risk.

Mosquito bites may lead to mild or long-term illness in a few cases, but it can also cause death if proper medical treatment is not given.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Chikungunya is caused by the chikungunya virus(CHIKV) and is a viral disease, similar to dengue and malaria, transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. People infected with Chikungunya develop fever, severe joint pain, muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash.

In cases of chikungunya, joint pain is often debilitating and can differ in duration. At present, there is no vaccine or specific drug to cure the disease and its treatment is focused on relieving the symptoms.

Can Chikungunya be fatal?

In most cases, chikungunya disease does not lead to death, but its symptoms can be severe and disabling. While most patients start feeling better within a week, in severe cases, the joint pain may persist for months.

It causes high fever, headache, joint and muscle pain for about three to seven days after the person gets infected. In severe cases, people develop chronic joint pain and inflammation.

Deaths and severe cases from chikungunya are very rare and are generally related to other existing health problems. Since the symptoms of chikungunya are similar to those of Zika virus and dengue, they can be misdiagnosed in areas where they occur.

According to WHO, the real estimate for the people affected by the disease across the world every year is not available. Moreover, there are many challenges to an accurate diagnosis of chikungunya.

What are the risk groups?

-The acute symptoms of chikungunya typically resolve within seven to ten days.

-Infants, children less than a year old, pregnant women, people above the age of 65 years, people with underlying medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes or cardiovascular disease are at the risk for severe disease.

-According to medical studies, most of the infected people become symptomatic and, in a few cases, joint pain can last for months or even for years. There is no specific treatment or vaccine to prevent infection by this virus.

READ ALSO| Chikungunya virus: How to prevent the spread of infection

READ ALSO| Chikungunya fever: Steps to control mosquitoes indoors and outdoors

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