What is Chikungunya?
Chikungunya fever is a viral disease and the mortality rate of this disease is 1 in 1,000. After being exposed to this virus, a person suffers from high fever for a period of two to four days. Joint pains also accompany the fever. The pains last for weeks or months. At times, they may even last for years together. This disease mainly affects senior citizens or elderly who are riddled with chronic medical problems like Sleep Apnea. This article will talk about the chikungunya symptoms. It will also talk about the causes and the chikungunya treatment. It will also examine if there are any home remedies for this disease.
History of Chikungunya
Historically speaking, the word chikungunya has been derived from a word hailing down from Makonde tongue that refers to, “that which bends up”. This phrase denotes the bent posture of people affected with this disease. This disease was first invented and described in words by two men called Mr. Marion Robinson and Mr. W.H.R. Lumsden. It was done following its outbreak in the year 1952 on the Makonde plateau what is modern day’s ‘Tanzania’. As per a report published in the year 1955, post the outbreak, it became evident that the term ‘chikungunya’ has been derived from the Makonde root verb called ‘kungunyala’, that means ‘to dry up’ or ‘become contorted’. However, subsequent references to the disease assumed that the term ‘chikungunya’ is derived from Swahili, the common language of the region. This erroneous reference has been found in a number of printed sources. Also, many erroneous spellings of this disease are commonly floating around in the medical world. Since its discovery in the year 1952, its outbreaks have occurred in Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. In India, chikungunya fever was first seen in 1963 in Kolkata. However, recent outbreaks, chikungunya 2016, have taken the disease to unheard of places.
Chikungunya Virus
Chikungunya virus called as CHIKV comes from the family of Togaviridae. The chief vector of chikungunya fever is ‘Aedes mosquito’ that is responsible for causing dengue and yellow fever too. A research conducted in Paris revealed that the virus is being transmitted through ‘Aedes albopictus’ or ‘Tiger Mosquito’, also.
What are the Chikungunya symptoms?
The normal incubation period for the chikungunya virus lasts for one to twelve days. It is found that typically 72% to 92% of those infected tend to develop symptoms of the disease. The normal chikungunya symptoms include sudden-
- The onset of fever, very high temperature.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Severe and unbearable joint pain and rash.
- Other symptoms range from acute to a moderate headache. If headache is severe and is followed by incessant vomits, check for Migraine symptoms here.
- Some patients may also suffer from conjunctivitis and get their eyes reddish.
- Patients also express digestive complaints.
There are other kinds of viral fevers too. If you have some other symptoms as well, just check Zika Fever Symptoms here.
Also check, Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever
Chikungunya stages
Recent epidemics have shown that the chikungunya fever may occur during the chronic phase and during the phase of acute illness. Two phases of the disease have been identified during the acute stage. The first is the viral stage, which lasts for the first five to seven days. Then comes the convalescent stage, which approximately lasts for up to ten days and during which the chikungunya symptoms improve and the virus can no longer be detected in the blood. In rare cases, neurological effects have been observed with the onset of this disease. Unlike dengue, chikungunya rarely causes hemorrhagic complications.
Is there any Chikungunya treatment ?
Unfortunately, no specific chikungunya treatment or vaccine has yet been invented against chikungunya virus till 2016. Though, scientists and researchers are trying at their level best to come up with a definite treatment and cure. Chikungunya,2016, is being treated by treating the chikungunya symptoms. Doctors are recommending and prescribing intravenous fluids along with analgesics, antipyretics, and multivitamins. The physicians are not in favour of prescribing Aspirin.
Chikungunya cure, available at home
Chikungunya is not a life threatening disease, still, it breaks the victim from inside out. The body strength is all lost and it may take several days to months or even years for a person to recover completely depending upon individual differences. For chikungunya treatment, it is suggested that the patient should be treated with-
- Sweet lime juice twice a day.
- Giloy juice twice or thrice a day. Try to prepare it at home by boiling stem and leaves of giloy in water. Else, buy it from the market.
- A glass full of coconut water once a day for two months.
- A plate full of fruits including apples.
- Light food like porridge, pulses, etc.
- Basil tablets once a day.
- And complete bed rest.
A miraculous homemade concoction for Chikungunya fever
Prepare a concoction at home. Collect 4 giloy leaves, 10 neem leaves, 10-12 tulsi leaves, sounth (dried ginger), pippali (long pepper) and gur (jaggery). Put five glasses of water in a pot and keep it on a gas stove. Add all these things and cover the pot with a plate. Let it boil on low flame for about an hour until the water is half of its initial quantity. Let the concoction, thus prepared, cool down and store it in refrigerator afterwards. Drink half cup thrice a day for about five days. It will work like magic in fighting against the disease. The body ache and all other chikungunya related problems will also vanish away with its use.
Preventing Chikungunya
Chikungunya fever can be prevented only by preventing the mosquitoes from biting and also mosquito breeding. Whenever outdoors, wear clothes that cover you up completely. Do not provide skin to mosquitoes to drop its sting in. Also, use mosquito repellants, in the form of gels and creams, on skin. Keep the area around you clean and tidy. Avoid storage of water anywhere, in any form. Keep the coolers and flower pots clean. Spray Pyrethrum extract in the home and Temephos once a week wherever from water is difficult to remove.
Along with this, one more thing is required and that is killing those chikungunya agents, the mosquitoes. For this, open your mosquito repellant liquid bottle and pour some neem oil along with one or two pieces of camphor (capur). Close the bottle and then insert the machine in the electricity board. Switch it on.
Be cautious
Chikungunya virus is spreading like an epidemic. All we need to do is be aware and cautious. Do not let mosquitoes grow anywhere around your living place. And if any of your dear ones catches chikungunya fever; don’t panic. Take them to a doctor and start the above-mentioned remediation along with the preventions. This is the only chikungunya treatment known by 2016.
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