There is no specific treatment yet but medications can be used to reduce symptoms. Naproxen, paracetamol (acetaminophen) and fluids are recommended. Some medical prescriptions may include ribavirin. Musculoskeletal pain, prolonged arthralgia , asthenia, headache , nosea and persistent infections, with not fully known mechanism, are common for the new disease. Virus isolation and serological tests are used for the diagnosis now. There are currently no approved vaccines available. Fortunately, Chikungunya is rarely fatal. West African, East/Central/South African and Asian genotypes of this virus have been described. Manifesting now, the disease was first described by Marion Robinson and W.H.R. Lumsden in 1955 and the first recorded outbreak of this disease may have been in 1779. The proximity of mosquito breeding sites to human habitation is a significant risk factor for chikungunya. The name ‘chikungunya’ derives from a word in the Kimakonde language, meaning “to become contorted” and is related to arthralgia.
