Introduction Chikungunya is an re-emerging or vector-borne viral disease, characterized by abrupt fever severe arthralgia, rash and is caused by an RNA virus that belongs to the alpha virus genus of the family Togaviridae. Chikungunya virus is also referred to as CHIKV3. The disease Chikungunya was first detected in 1952 in Africa at a place called Makonde Plateau, a border area between Tanzania and Mozambique. The name "chikungunya" is derived from the Makonde language and its meaning is "that which bends up".
This is in reference to the Chikungunya symptom where patients walk in a stooped posture due to severe joint pain.The disease is self limiting and rarely fatal. Outbreaks occur after a quiescent period of 6 -7 years. Recently it has gained importance for causing an outbreak in India after nine years and there has been a sharp increase in number of cases, 2500 odd cases have…
