Chikungunya
Chikungunya is a rapidly emerging viral disease that is also spread by the Aedes mosquitoes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms of chikungunya infection include fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, rash and joint pain. The joint pain can last for months. On rare occasions, infection may lead to viral encephalitis and death. Because there is no vaccine or specific treatment available, the best way to avoid chikungunya infection is to minimise the likelihood of contact with an infected mosquito.
There have been recent large outbreaks in India and South East Asia but the geographical spread is increasing and is of growing concern to health officials. On the island of La Réunion in 2006, over 20% of the population was estimated to have been infected. There was also an outbreak in Europe in 2007 in Northern Italy. The virus is believed to have been introduced into Italy by a vacationer from India and then transmitted by local mosquitoes. During the outbreak, there were 254 suspected and 78 laboratory confirmed cases including one death. Because only a small percentage of infected individuals present for diagnosis, the actual number of cases may be higher. This outbreak has forced global public health experts to re-evaluate the geographic threat of this mosquito-borne virus.
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