Chikungunya is a viral disease that attacks the humans through the bites of mosquitoes Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus. The mosquito acts as an intermediary or vector i.e. organisms that carry chikungunya virus in his body without being infected. Both are the same type of mosquito which causes dengue fever.
Causes and symptoms of chikungunya disease cause similar often mistakenly diagnosed as a disease of dengue fever.
Cases of chikungunya himself had identified around 60 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and America.
The Cause Of The Chikungunya Mosquito Bites:
Chikungunya virus could not spread directly from one person to another. This disease is caused by a virus that spreads through mosquito bites Ae. aegypti or Ae. albopictus, two types of mosquitoes that can also lead to dengue virus. Chikungunya virus gene groups include alfavirus of the Togaviridae family found in tropical countries.
Generally these mosquitoes attacked in daylight, but bites especially occurs when the early morning and late afternoon. You are more vulnerable to developing time is outside the home, even though it did not close the possibility that the mosquito Ae. aegypti can also strike indoors.
Mosquitos Ae. aegypti more live and breed in proximity to humans, especially indoors. Places that are generally inhabited by mosquitoes it is shelter water, bathtub, to vases and flower pots of water. Mosquitos Ae. albopictus have breeding grounds of many more and diverse than Ae. aegypti. In addition to the puddles on the former tire vehicles, outdoor, or potted plants, mosquitoes can also breed in standing water that is in the tree holes, bamboo and coconut shell.
Symptoms Of Chikungunya
After the mosquito which carries the virus be bitten, symptoms will begin to noticeably on a 4-8 day, but can also be started since 2-12 days after the bite. The symptoms initially resembled the symptoms of flu.
- Fever-begins suddenly; one of the main symptoms of chikungunya
- Joint pain-keparahannya can to hinder the movement of the body of the sufferer; These symptoms can last for weeks and is also the main symptoms of chikungunya. These symptoms generally appearing shortly after symptoms of fever is starting to be felt.
- Muscle pain
- The cold
- The headaches are not unbearable
- Rash or red spots all over body
- Fatigue
- Nausea and vomiting
In some cases, symptoms of joint pain will still be felt until a couple of months, even years. Symptoms of chikungunya typically lightly so as not to be detected or too felt by the sufferer. In areas that have cases of dengue fever, not least also happens to a case of mistaken diagnosis of both diseases.
In some rare cases, complications due to chikungunya, such as disorders of the nerves, eyes, heart, and gastrointestinal tract could emerge. Especially on the aged, the disease can result in death.
Tests to diagnose Chikungunya
Blood samples should preferably be taken people with property in the first week after the symptoms began to felt. The sample is then tested by serology and Virology tests (RT-PCR) in the laboratory. ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays) will confirm the presence of antibodies that indicate infection chikungunya.
On the third week to fifth after the symptoms began to feel kind of antibody, IgM will be in the highest levels and will remain the same until the next two months.
How To Handle A Chikungunya
There is no specific treatment to cure chikungunya. Pain relief medications and antiradang only aim at relieving symptoms. In between lowering fever and analgesic to relieve muscle pain and the pain of the other. On most sufferers lack of fluids, e.g. due to loss of appetite and lazy to drink, delivery of liquid oral rehydration therapy or intravenous can be done to prevent dehydration.
Consult physician before using the medication antiradang nonsteroid. Nonsteroid antiradang drugs given the grant if it is ascertained that the sufferer does not suffer from dengue fever. This is due to the side effects of bleeding in people with dengue fever.
Prevent Mosquito Bites Cause Chikungunya
- There is no vaccine that can prevent someone infected with chikungunya. Chikungunya prevention is done by focusing on avoiding mosquito bites and to eradicate mosquito breeding places of habitat.
- Drain and brushing the water shelter, such as a bath, a WC, and others
- Closing the meeting shelter water.
- Utilize or recycle of used items that can hold rain water such as used tires, coconut shell, and others.
While the additional actions that can be done to eradicate the mosquito's nest are:
- Place the container-the container that is currently unused in the position-down.
- Keep the larva Eater fish in the pond.
- Sprinkle powder larvasida (powder killer mosquito larvae or larva) into shelters or hard water being drained in the difficult area of water.
- Clean vases, aquariums and drinking places the pet on a regular basis at least once a week.
- Make sure the septic tank remains closed and does not leak.
- Make sure your home's roof gutter does not hold standing water.
- Attach the gauze antinyamuk on Windows.
Here are the things that are suggested to avoid the bite of Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.
- Avoid hanging clothes in the open.
- Use the closed clothes or antinyamuk lotion if were in areas with a potential for a lot of mosquitoes, such as in the garden.
- We recommend that you wear clothes with bright colors. Mosquitoes are more reluctant to stick on this color.
- Use electric sprayers or drug antinyamuk in the afternoon, even use the mosquito nets if necessary. However, avoid drug spray if there are infants, the sick or the elderly.
- Minimize strong scent, such as perfume or hairspray. Bau-bauan this could attract mosquitoes for resting.
- Fogging/fogging to kill mosquitoes generally is done mainly at the time of chikungunya or dengue fever epidemic in a region already. Make sure the fogging done at your home or place of work you've done with the proper procedures in accordance with the life cycle of mosquitoes.