10-11-2006, 01:25 AM
From the above link
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>What are the symptoms of chikungunya?</b>
Chikungunya usually starts suddenly with fever, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, joint pain, and rash. In Swahili, âchikungunyaâ means âthat which contorts or bends up.â This refers to the contorted (or stooped) posture of patients who are afflicted with the severe joint pain (arthritis) which is the most common feature of the disease. Frequently, the infection causes no symptoms, especially in children. While recovery from chikungunya is the expected outcome, convalescence can be prolonged (up to a year or more), and persistent joint pain may require analgesic (pain medication) and long-term anti-inflammatory therapy. Infection appears to confer lasting immunity.
<b>How soon after exposure do symptoms appear?</b>
The time between the bite of a mosquito carrying chikungunya virus and the start of symptoms ranges from 1 to 12 days.
<b>How is chikungunya diagnosed?</b>
Chikungunya is diagnosed by blood tests. <b>Since the clinical appearance of both chikungunya and dengue are similar, laboratory confirmation is important, especially in areas where dengue is present.</b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
In Gujarat Dengue was pretty common last year, this year is Chikungunya. A few years ago it was Leptospirosis. Worst thing is every year these microorgs mutate and bring with them new symptoms and there is no mechanism for information delivery to all the general physicians across the country.
Some kind of process needs to be created for tackling this sort of thing.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>What are the symptoms of chikungunya?</b>
Chikungunya usually starts suddenly with fever, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, joint pain, and rash. In Swahili, âchikungunyaâ means âthat which contorts or bends up.â This refers to the contorted (or stooped) posture of patients who are afflicted with the severe joint pain (arthritis) which is the most common feature of the disease. Frequently, the infection causes no symptoms, especially in children. While recovery from chikungunya is the expected outcome, convalescence can be prolonged (up to a year or more), and persistent joint pain may require analgesic (pain medication) and long-term anti-inflammatory therapy. Infection appears to confer lasting immunity.
<b>How soon after exposure do symptoms appear?</b>
The time between the bite of a mosquito carrying chikungunya virus and the start of symptoms ranges from 1 to 12 days.
<b>How is chikungunya diagnosed?</b>
Chikungunya is diagnosed by blood tests. <b>Since the clinical appearance of both chikungunya and dengue are similar, laboratory confirmation is important, especially in areas where dengue is present.</b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
In Gujarat Dengue was pretty common last year, this year is Chikungunya. A few years ago it was Leptospirosis. Worst thing is every year these microorgs mutate and bring with them new symptoms and there is no mechanism for information delivery to all the general physicians across the country.
Some kind of process needs to be created for tackling this sort of thing.