Chikungunya
This nasty little virus infects its victims through mosquito bites. It causes fever, severe joint pain, muscle pain, headaches, and skin rashes.
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Key Facts around Chikungunya
The disease shares some clinical signs with dengue and zika and can be misdiagnosed in areas where they are common.1
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How do people catch this disease?
When they are bitten by infected mosquitoes which carry the virus.1,4
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Which countries are affected?
Chikungunya virus circulates in tropical and subtropical regions. Chikungunya virus disease cases and local outbreaks had been identified in more than 100 countries in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Indian and Pacific Oceans.3
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What are the symptoms?
- Sudden onset of fever, often accompanied by joint pain. Other common symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue, and rash.1
- Severe joint pain can last from a few days to weeks, but cases of pain lasting months to years have also been reported.1
- Symptoms usually appear 3-7 days after the mosquito bite.1,2
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How serious is the disease?
Serious cases are not common and most people make a full recovery. But pain in the joints can last for months or even years1 and while symptoms can be treated, there is no known cure.1
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Can I reduce the chances of catching the disease?
You can take the following precautions to help reduce your risk of infection:
- Visit a travel health clinic to assess the risks of the planned trip and get advice about available vaccinations and further precautions. Click here to find your nearest travel health clinic and make an appointment: https://www.reisemedizincheck.at/en/find-a-travel-health-service
- Use bed nets, as they provide essential protection to travelers staying in accommodations lacking adequate window screens 5
- Use a recommended insect repellent. 5
- Wear appropriate clothing (e.g long-sleeved clothes and long trousers) 5
- Vaccination is recommended depending on age, destination and individual risk. 6,7
References
AT-TB-2500003
26-May-2025
- World Health Organization. Factsheet. Chikungunya. April 2025. Available online: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs327/en/ (Last accessed May 2025)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chikungunya. Symptoms. Available online: https://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/symptoms-diagnosis-treatment/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/symptoms/index.html (Last accessed May 2025)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chikungunya Virus. Geographic Distribution. Countries and territories with evidence of chikungunya virus transmission among humans within the last 5 years (as of November 8, 2024). Available online: https://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/data-maps/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/geo/index.html (Last accessed May 2025)
- Gesundheit.GV.AT. Chikungunya. Available online: https://www.gesundheit.gv.at/krankheiten/immunsystem/infektionskrankheiten-auf-reisen/chikungunya.html
(Last accessed May 2025) - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yellow Book Book 2026. Environmental Hazards & Risks. Mosquitoes, Ticks, & Other Arthropods. Available online: https://www.cdc.gov/yellow-book/hcp/environmental-hazards-risks/mosquitoes-ticks-and-other-arthropods.html (Last accessed May 2025)
- Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. About Chikungunya. Available online: https://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/about/index.html (Last accessed: May 2025)
- Bundesministerium Soziales, Gesundheit, Pflege und Konsumentenschutz. Impfplan Österreich 2024/2025. Available online: https://www.sozialministerium.at/Themen/Gesundheit/Impfen/Impfplan-Österreich.html (Letzter Zugriff May 2025)
AT-TB-2500003
26-May-2025
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