The Chikungunya Epidemic: A look at five cases

Chikungunya is an infection caused by the Chikungunya virus and transmitted by the bite of infected mosquito. The most common symptoms of Chikungunya virus infection are fever, joint pain or rash. Chikungunya virus outbreaks had been identified in countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Indian and Pacific Oceans. In late 2013, the first local transmission of Chikungunya virus in the Americas was identified in Caribbean countries and territories. Chikungunya virus disease became a nationally notifiable condition in 2015. There is a threat that Chikungunya will continue to spread to new areas in the Americas. We describe 5 patients who presented to our hospital with Chikungunya infection, shortly after returning from endemic areas. Fever and travel history to endemic areas were documented in all of our cases. Skin rash, arthralgia and contact history were also reported by these patients. Persons with suspected Chikungunya infection should be counseled to avoid mosquito bites during illness to decrease the risk of local transmission. The transmitting mosquitos are present in the US, and limiting the viral spread is essential. In this report, we describe the clinical presentation, risk factors and laboratory tests of each patient, and attempt to ensure awareness on the risk of potential spread of the disease.