Chikungunya fever

What is chikungunya fever? 

Chikungunya fever is an acute febrile disease caused by the chikungunya virus. 

How is chikungunya fever transmitted? 

Chikungunya fever is transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito.

What are the symptoms of chikungunya fever? 

Persons infected with chikungunya virus may present with the following:

• Fever

• Joint pain

• Rash

• Headache

• Eye redness

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Fatigue 

Severe complications are more common in people aged above 65 years and with underlying medical conditions. These complications include respiratory failure, bleeding, brain inflammation, liver inflammation, and eye manifestations. 

What are the risk factors? 

 Living in or travelling to chikungunya-affected areas. 

How is chikungunya fever treated? 

There is no specific antiviral treatment. Supportive care and symptomatic treatment including paracetamol for fever, body aches and pains, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be considered for joint pains if there are no precautions such as concomitant dengue infection.

How to prevent chikungunya fever? 

Individuals living in or travelling to chikungunya-affected areas are advised to take precautions against mosquito bites, such as: 

• Staying in rooms with insect screens on windows and doors, or air-conditioning.

• Wearing long, covered clothing that covers most of your body. 

• Applying effective insect repellent, such as those containing DEET, Picaridin, or IR3535 as the active ingredient regularly.  

• There is no approved vaccine against chikungunya in Singapore.