Dr. Jessica Pelletier, John George Johnson, Dr. Akan Otu, Dr. Moses Kitakule, and Dr. Bri Bennett discuss the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic workup, management, and prevention of chikungunya virus disease.

Take-Home Points:

• CHIKF is an alphavirus with low mortality but HIGH morbidity, often leading to chronic, debilitating arthritis.
• Severe disease primarily affects high-risk subgroups, such as those at the extremes of age and with chronic comorbid diseases.
• Dengue can present similarly in the initial phases and must be ruled out in order to guide appropriate management.
  • Paracetamol is a safe option until dengue is excluded; at that point, it is appropriate to transition to NSAIDs.
• Laboratory diagnostics are essential and depend on the timing of illness.
• Prevention involves aggressive vector control, preventing mosquito bites, and vaccination in at-risk populations.

You can view the full show notes and references here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Jayl1ihGGNGek0brDrynE_cET11DLfIl0oBxodQ3tcc/edit?usp=sharing

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