DOH Confirms Chikungunya
Outbreak in 10 Municipalities
Sheila Crisostomo | The Philippine Star | July 13, 2013, 12:00am
Are you wondering what
is this outlandish-sounding name of a disease? The term “chikungunya” came from the
Kimakonde language which means “that
which bends up”
because severe pain causes affected persons to walk in a stooped posture.
CAUSE: Alphavirus contracted from the bite of the same Dengue-carrying species of mosquitoes – Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Joint pain (often very debilitating and may persist for several months or years)
- Rash
- Nausea
- Fatigue
Rash |
MANAGEMENT:
- NO specific drug for cure
- Relieve symptoms, including joint pain
PREVENTION:
- NO available vaccine
- Avoid being bitten by Aedes mosquitoes
- See “4s against Dengue by the Department of Health” in my blog “The Dreaded, Dreadful Dengue”
SIMILARITIES
|
DIFFERENCES
|
Transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes
|
DENGUE Affects mostly children
CHIKUNGUNYA Affects mostly adults
|
Fever, Rash, Musculoskeletal pain
|
CHIKUNGUNYA Joint
pain may be debilitating and long-term; Less fatal
|
Sources:
Department of Health (DOH)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
World Health Organization (WHO)
The Philippine Star
Department of Health (DOH)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
World Health Organization (WHO)
The Philippine Star
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