On a Wednesday last month, Crystal felt terrible and had a red rash spreading across her. We thought she had Dengue but when we went to the Doctor they diagnosed her with Chikungunya.

Symptoms

Most people infected with chikungunya virus will develop some symptoms. Symptoms usually begin 3–7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. The most common symptoms are fever and joint pain. Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash.

Chikungunya disease does not often result in death, but the symptoms can be severe and disabling. Most patients feel better within a week. In some people, the joint pain may persist for months.

People at risk for more severe disease include newborns infected around the time of birth, older adults (≥65 years), and people with medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease. Once a person has been infected, he or she is likely to be protected from future infections.

Diagnosis

The symptoms of chikungunya are similar to those of dengue and Zika, diseases spread by the same mosquitoes that transmit chikungunya. See your healthcare provider if you develop the symptoms described above and have visited an area where chikungunya is found.

If you have recently traveled, tell your healthcare provider when and where you traveled. Your healthcare provider may order blood tests to look for chikungunya or other similar viruses like dengue and Zika.

https://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/symptoms/index.html

Chikungunya is in the same family as Zika and Dengue. It’s spread by the same two mosquitoes – Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. The symptoms are – generally – less extreme than Dengue but it a higher risk of low term complications. In particular, we were warned about kidney damage and an increased risk of arthritis.

Fortunately, Crystal seems to have a mild case and is recovering well. She still is very fatigued and has some residual muscle/joint pain.