Chikungunya fever

This item appears on page 19 of the November 2008 issue.

Chikungunya fever mainly occurs in areas of Africa and Asia. Countries that have experienced recent outbreaks of chikungunya fever include India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

Chikungunya is a virus that is spread to people through the bite of infected mosquitoes. Symptoms can include sudden fever, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, joint pain with or without swelling, lower back pain and a rash.