Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsTreatmentRecoveryRisk FactorsHow to Ease Symptoms
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Treatment
Recovery
Risk Factors
How to Ease Symptoms
Fever and joint pain are the most common symptoms of chikungunya. Other symptoms may include muscle pain, joint swelling, headache, or rash.Currently, there are no medications to treat chikungunya. The best protection against chikungunya is to take measures to prevent mosquito bites. A vaccine is available in the United States.
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VaccineThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed avaccinefor the chikungunya virus for adults aged 18 years and older in November 2023. Data on the vaccine is being evaluated to determine recommendations for who should receive it, such as those traveling abroad, laboratory workers working with the virus, or people in the United States who have or are at risk of transmitting the virus.
Vaccine
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed avaccinefor the chikungunya virus for adults aged 18 years and older in November 2023. Data on the vaccine is being evaluated to determine recommendations for who should receive it, such as those traveling abroad, laboratory workers working with the virus, or people in the United States who have or are at risk of transmitting the virus.
Start of Chikungunya Rash and Virus Symptoms
Most people who become infected with chikungunya experience some symptoms. Symptoms can appear between two and 12 days after being bitten and last three to 10 days.
The symptoms usually begin three to seven days after a bite from an infected mosquito. Typically, people feel better within a week.
Other symptoms of chikungunya may include:
Chikungunya can havemucocutaneous(typical skin and mucous membranes) involvement. These may include a rash that:
Chikungunya may also cause:
Treatment for chikungunya is symptom management.Currently, there are no medications to treat chikungunya.
Typically, chikungunya is self-limiting and doesn’t require special treatment other than supportive measures.
Ways to Help Prevent Chikungunya
Preventing mosquito bites is the best way to protect yourself and others from chikungunya.
Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registeredinsect repellentswith one of these active ingredients:
Always follow directions. EPA-registered insect repellents are proven safe and effective, even for those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, when used as directed. If also applying sunscreen, apply the sunscreen first, then insect repellent.
Do not use products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD) onchildren under 3 years old. Put insect repellent onto your hands and then apply it to your child’s face. Avoid applying it on a child’s hands, eyes, mouth, cuts, or irritated skin.
Other measures to take include:
How Soon Infection Clears
The chikungunya virus may be detected in the blood during the first week of illness using tests such as reversetranscriptase–polymerasechain reaction (RT–PCR).
Because the chikungunya virus can be found in the blood during the first week of illness, it is important to prevent mosquito bites. If a mosquito bites you during this time, it can spread the virus to other people.
Research suggests that once you have had chikungunya, you are likely to beimmuneto future infections of the virus.
Risk Factors for Prolonged Viral Symptoms
Most people make a full recovery from chikungunya, but occasionally, eye, heart, or neurological complications can occur.Chronic joint painand chronic arthritis following a chikungunya infection can also occur and may be debilitating.
Those at risk for more severe disease include:
Inflammation With Chikungunya VirusPain or swelling can occur in multiple joints with chikungunya, most commonly in the hands, feet, wrists, ankles, elbows, and/or knees. This joint pain can last past the initial illness, sometimes for several years. It may also go away after the initial illness and then come back two to three months later.People experiencing persistent joint pain, swelling, or inflammation should see arheumatologist(a specialist in inflammatory and joint diseases) for an assessment and treatment options.
Inflammation With Chikungunya Virus
Pain or swelling can occur in multiple joints with chikungunya, most commonly in the hands, feet, wrists, ankles, elbows, and/or knees. This joint pain can last past the initial illness, sometimes for several years. It may also go away after the initial illness and then come back two to three months later.People experiencing persistent joint pain, swelling, or inflammation should see arheumatologist(a specialist in inflammatory and joint diseases) for an assessment and treatment options.
Pain or swelling can occur in multiple joints with chikungunya, most commonly in the hands, feet, wrists, ankles, elbows, and/or knees. This joint pain can last past the initial illness, sometimes for several years. It may also go away after the initial illness and then come back two to three months later.
People experiencing persistent joint pain, swelling, or inflammation should see arheumatologist(a specialist in inflammatory and joint diseases) for an assessment and treatment options.
To help ease symptoms while you recover from chikungunya, you can try measures such as:
Do not takeaspirin or othernon-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Advil/Motrin (ibuprofen) or Aleve (naproxen) before dengue fever has been ruled out as a cause of your symptoms, to reduce the risk of bleeding.
Summary
For most people, the illness lasts about a week, and then there is a full recovery. In some cases, joint pain can become long-lasting, chronic, and debilitating. Complications occasionally arise. Newborns, older adults, and people with pre-existing conditions are most at risk for severe illness.
Chikungunya is typically self-limiting and resolves without treatment. Treatment for chikungunya involves symptom relief, such as rest, fluids, and Tylenol for fever and pain.
It is important to take measures, such as insect repellent and mosquito nets, to prevent mosquito bites if you are in affected areas and, if you have a chikungunya infection, to prevent spreading it to others via mosquito bites.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Areas at risk for chikungunya.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About chikungunya.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chikungunya.Florida Health.Chikungunya fever (CHIK).World Health Organization.Chikungunya.Pegado R, Mendes Neto NN, Pacheco-Barrios K, Fregni F.Chikungunya crisis in the Americas: a comprehensive call for research and innovation.The Lancet Regional Health - Americas. 2024;34:100758. doi:10.1016/j.lana.2024.100758DermNet.Chikungunya fever.MedlinePlus.Chikungunya.Virginia Department of Health.Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) fact sheet.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Areas at risk for chikungunya.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About chikungunya.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chikungunya.Florida Health.Chikungunya fever (CHIK).World Health Organization.Chikungunya.Pegado R, Mendes Neto NN, Pacheco-Barrios K, Fregni F.Chikungunya crisis in the Americas: a comprehensive call for research and innovation.The Lancet Regional Health - Americas. 2024;34:100758. doi:10.1016/j.lana.2024.100758DermNet.Chikungunya fever.MedlinePlus.Chikungunya.Virginia Department of Health.Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) fact sheet.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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DermNet.Chikungunya fever.
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