Medicine and Nursing Research Assignment Chikungunya Virus (Essay Sample)

Chikungunya Virus
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Chikungunya Virus
Chikungunya virus was first discovered in the year 1952 in Africa following the eruption of Makonde Plateau a border between Tanzania and Mozambique (Simon et al., 2011). The name of the virus comes from the Makonde word that means “that which bends.” The virus has been found to mingle in a sylvatic cycle among non-human primates and mosquitoes dwelling in the forest. The paper herein discusses the transmission of the virus, its symptoms, treatment and the possible prevent the disease.
The two types of mosquitoes known as Aedesalbopictus and Aedesaegypti spread the Chikungunya virus from one person to the other (Simon et al., 2011). The Aedesalbopictus and Aedesaegypti mosquitoes bite mainly during the day. The Chikungunya infection usually circulates within particular groups of animals such as rodents and birds. The disease has similar symptoms as those of the dengue and zika fever (Weaver & Lecuit, 2015). Some medical researchers have presented claims that after the first infection, most people become immune to the virus. Blood is normally tested during the diagnosis of the disease. The Chikungunya virus is a member of genus alphavirus and family Togaviridae. The illness is closely related to o`nyong`nyong, Rose River, and semliki infections and is a member of semliki forest virus. The Chikungunya virus is sometimes also referred to as an arbovirus because arthropods transmit it (Weaver & Lecuit, 2015).
Mosquitoes transmit Chikungunya virus to humans. Vertical transmission is one of the less common modes of how the disease spreads. In this method, the mother transmits the virus to the child during pregnancy or at birth. The virus can be transmitted during organ transplant and also through infected body fluids especially the blood products (Renault et al., 2007). Humans are the reservoir of the virus during epidemic periods. Acute infections begin when there is a high amount of the virus in the blood hence the virus can spread from the human who is viremic to mosquitoes and back to humans from the affected mosquitoes (Renault et al., 2007). Birds, monkeys and other vertebrates can serve as reservoirs as well.
Apart from Aedes mosquitoes, it has been reported by Pasteur Institute in Paris has suggested that the virus strains in the 2005-2006 outbreak was as a result of Asian tiger mosquito transmission (Weaver & Lecuit, 2015). Aefurcifer-taylori, Aeluteocephalus, and Aeafricanus mosquitoes also transmit Chikungunya virus. Chikungunya shows various signs and symptoms on the affected persons. The signs are usually seen within 3-7 days after one has been bitten by the infected mosquito (Renault et al., 2007). The common symptoms are joint pains and fever. Other symptoms associated with the disease also include joint swelling, rash, headache, digestive complaints, fatigue, and muscle pain as well as conjunctivitis.
The infection may not result in death, but its symptoms are usually severe and disabling. Patients may feel better after one week, but in some people, the pain in the joint might persist for months. Once a person has the infection he or she can develop self-protection against the disease protecting him from future infections (Weaver & Lecuit, 2015). People with chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and the old above 65 years as well as newborn babies are at risk of getting server infections from the virus (Weaver & Lecuit, 2015).
Chikungunya disease has two phases chronic and acute phase. According to Weaver & Lecuit, (2015), the condition may damage the liver temporarily, and some neurological disorders may appear on the patient. The Chikungunya fever may cause hemorrhagic neuropathy on rare occasions.
There is no direct medication for the treatment of the Chikungunya virus, but the patient can treat the symptoms of the disease (Simon et al., 2011). The symptoms can be managed through various ways such as the patient getting a lot of rest and drinking a lot of fluids and water to preclude dehydration. The patient can take paracetamol or acetaminophen drugs for cooling down the fever. The patient should not take aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines until dengue infection has been ruled out to decrease the threat of bleeding (Simon et al., 2011). If the patient gets the infection while taking other medication, he or she should contact the doctor before taking additional medication. The patient should avoid mosquito bites during the first week of his illness because at the first week of infection the virus can be found in blood and can be passed from one person to the other.
Passive immunotherapy can also be a useful method for the treatment of Chikungunya virus, and it has been beneficial in treating the disease in animals (Simon et al., 2011). The method of passive immunotherapy includes the administering of anti-CHKIV immunoglobins to the people exposed to high infection risk of the virus. There has been no satisfactory treatment to people infected with the virus, but continuous research is being conducted to the cure.
There is no vaccine or medicine available to prevent the Chikungunya virus making it difficult to control the disease apar...