Chikungunya epidemic warning: Do not be subjective with mosquito bites
Chikungunya is an infectious disease that can seriously affect the health of the patient. Each person needs to proactively prevent mosquito bites, monitor symptoms early, and seek medical attention and treatment promptly... to protect the health of themselves and the community.
Chikungunya epidemic tends to increase
According to the Ministry of Health, the Chikungunya epidemic is increasing worldwide with many large outbreaks in islands in the Indian Ocean and spreading to many countries in Africa, South Asia, and Europe.
On July 22, the World Health Organization also warned about the rapid spread of Chikungunya disease and called for action to prevent the spread of the disease.
Currently, the Chikungunya epidemic is on the rise in some countries in the region, especially in China. In China, in the past 4 weeks, there have been about 8,000 people infected with Chikungunya. The vast majority of cases are concentrated in Guangdong province. China has been forced to apply strict control measures and organize mosquito eradication to control the Chikungunya epidemic.
Chikungunya is an infectious disease caused by the chikungunya virus, transmitted to humans through mosquito bites. This disease causes high fever, severe joint pain, weakness, and can be fatal (in severe cases).
The disease was first detected in Tanzania in 1952, and then gradually spread to other countries in Africa. In the 1970s to 2004, cases of the virus began to be recorded in Asia and continued to expand its area of influence.
The World Health Organization says the disease is not widely known, but has now been detected and transmitted in 119 countries globally, putting 5.6 billion people at risk.
As of July 2025, there were approximately 240,000 infections and 90 deaths in 16 countries and territories, including countries in Asia and Southeast Asia.
Chikungunya disease once appeared in Vietnam.
In Vietnam, epidemiological studies have shown that Chikungunya has been present for decades. During the period 2010 - 2014, the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases surveyed 8,105 children with acute fever at 7 hospitals in the Southern region. The results detected 4 cases of Chikungunya, identified as belonging to the East/Central/Southern African (ECSA) genotype, the same strain discovered in Cambodia in 2011.
In 2015, serological surveys of 546 samples in An Giang, Ho Chi Minh City, Dak Lak and Hue showed that 3.72 - 10% of the population had been infected with Chikungunya, mainly in the group over 30 years old. This shows that the disease has been circulating since around the 1980s but there was no evidence of transmission at the time of the survey.
From 2017 to 2019, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and the Pasteur Institute of Ho Chi Minh City in collaboration with Nagasaki University (Japan) conducted research in 31 provinces and cities, recording 46.4% of serum samples with Chikungunya antibodies and 27.7% of PCR samples positive. The gene sequencing results also identified the ECSA genotype. The research team concluded that the disease is circulating in Vietnam at a significant rate and requires regular monitoring.
At this time, although Vietnam has not recorded any cases of Chikungunya in the community, the Ministry of Health believes that the risk of the disease entering and spreading rapidly is very high. The reason is that the Aedes mosquito (the vector that transmits the disease) is at its peak, the weather and climate are favorable, community immunity is low, and the number of tourists traveling to and from Vietnam is increasing.
Many dangerous complications
Dr. Chu Trong Trang, Director of the Center for Disease Control of Nghe An province, said: The cause of the disease is the Chikungunya virus - a virus of the Togaviridae family, Alphavirus genus. This virus is not transmitted from person to person through normal contact. This virus is transmitted to humans mainly through the bite of infected female mosquitoes, commonly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus - commonly found in tropical and subtropical areas. These two species of mosquitoes can also transmit other viruses to humans, such as dengue virus and Zika virus.
Symptoms usually appear 3-7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. However, some people develop symptoms earlier (about 2 days) or later (about 12 days) after being bitten by an infected mosquito. The symptoms are similar to those of dengue fever and Zika.
After the incubation period, the patient begins to experience acute symptoms such as: High fever above 38.5°C, lasting about 2-3 days; Joint pain, often in the hands, wrists, knees, ankles; Skin rash; Headache in the forehead area, feeling tired all over the body; Nausea or vomiting, possibly accompanied by loss of appetite...
Anyone can be infected with the Chikungunya virus if bitten by an infected mosquito. However, some people with weak resistance are often at higher risk of getting the disease such as infants, people over 65 years old, people with underlying diseases...
Mild cases can resolve spontaneously. The average recovery time for patients is about 7-10 days. Some elderly patients or those with underlying medical conditions may experience joint pain for several weeks to several months after recovery.
Although most people infected with Chikungunya virus can recover after a few weeks, in some cases, the disease can lead to serious complications, especially in people with weakened immune systems. Some possible complications include: Chronic joint pain; eye, heart and nerve complications such as encephalitis, myocarditis, retinitis... In severe cases, the patient can die (mortality rate is less than 0.1%, quite low compared to other infectious diseases).
There is currently no specific treatment for Chikungunya, treatment focuses mainly on controlling symptoms and supporting recovery. Doctors may prescribe pain relievers and fever reducers, give patients plenty of fluids and adequate nutrition, complete rest during the high fever phase, and get enough sleep.
Actively kill mosquitoes to prevent disease
According to Dr. Chu Trong Trang: To proactively prevent and control Chikungunya, the Ministry of Health has recommended that people returning from countries and regions where Chikungunya is on the rise should proactively monitor their health for 12 days. If there are any unusual signs (such as sudden high fever, joint pain, rash, etc.), they should immediately go to a medical facility for examination, consultation and timely treatment.
People traveling or working in areas where Chikungunya is on the rise should take precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Actively monitor your health and notify health authorities if you have symptoms similar to Chikungunya.
The Ministry of Health has also issued a document requesting localities to increase surveillance of Chikungunya at border gates, especially areas with people returning from epidemic areas, as well as in the community. When a suspected case is detected, it is necessary to take samples for timely testing; it is necessary to organize investigations and thoroughly handle outbreaks to prevent spread, and at the same time monitor mosquitoes that transmit the disease at border gates as well as in the community.
The Ministry of Health also directed the combination of Chikungunya and Dengue prevention and control through mosquito and mosquito larvae eradication campaigns. All households in dengue fever and high-risk areas need to have their water containers and waste items inspected - places where mosquitoes often breed. In addition, localities need to develop scenarios and prepare resources to be ready to respond whenpandemichappen.
Following the direction of the Ministry of Health, Nghe An has been actively implementing prevention and control measures such as strengthening surveillance.pandemicat border gates; monitor suspected cases in the community; monitor disease vectors (Aedes mosquitoes) periodically and suddenly; promote campaigns to destroy larvae and larva in the community; actively communicate...
To prevent Chikungunya, people need to prevent and kill mosquitoes; remove objects that contain stagnant water around the living area such as bottles, flower pots, tire covers, etc.; regularly clean water containers and jars to interrupt the mosquito breeding cycle; use mosquito nets when sleeping, wear long-sleeved shirts; use mosquito repellent creams and electric mosquito rackets.
Everyone also needs to actively cooperate with the health sector in spraying chemicals to kill mosquitoes. When having a fever, go to a medical facility immediately for examination and consultation, absolutely do not self-treat at home.
Dr. Chu Trong Trang - Director of Nghe An Province Center for Disease Control
