The Ministry of Health have confirmed a case of Chikungunya in
Los Cabos. The infection occurred in a baby of 53 days old whose parents came to live in Baja California
Sur from the state of Chiapas.
Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease first
described during an outbreak in southern Tanzania in 1952. It is an RNA virus
that belongs to the alphavirus genus of the family Togaviridae. The name
‘chikungunya’ derives from a word in the Kimakonde language, meaning "to
become contorted" and describes the stooped appearance of sufferers with
joint pain (arthralgia).
The Director of State Health Services, Dr. Corrales
Heleodoro Bobadilla, said the infected child was already out of danger, but
remains under medical supervision at home. The minor and his parents came to
Los Cabos on December 5th and 6th had to be admitted to the hospital in Cabo
San Lucas , presenting symptoms of the disease i.e. fever, sore head and
joints. Because the symptoms of this disease are similar to those of dengue it
was thought that was a possibility, so blood samples were taken for laboratory analysis.
“Re-infection can
only occur in the first week of illness and fortunately we have not had reports
of new cases, and samples were even taken from the patient's parents with
negative results” he added.
The family came from a zone of Chiapas where cases of
Chikungunya have occurred, so blood samples were also sent to the Institute of
Epidemiological Diagnosis and Reference (Indre ), in Mexico City to confirm the
diagnosis.
Chikungunya virus originated in Africa and last year came to
Mexico from the Caribbean and Central America. Most patients recover fully, but
in some cases joint pain may persist for several months, or even years.
Occasional cases of eye, neurological and heart complications have been
reported, as well as gastrointestinal complaints. Serious complications are not
common, but in older people, the disease can contribute to the cause of death.
Often symptoms in infected individuals are mild and the infection may go
unrecognized, or be misdiagnosed in areas where dengue occurs.
Most commonly, the mosquitoes involved are Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, two species which can also transmit other mosquito-borne viruses, including dengue. These mosquitoes can be found biting throughout daylight hours, though there may be peaks of activity in the early morning and late afternoon. Both species are found biting outdoors, but Ae. aegypti will also readily feed indoors.
As ever, the best defense is protection from bites by using easily
purchased mosquito repellent products and screens. You can use most of these safely with sunscreens and they should be applied in accordance with the manufacturers instructions but generally before you apply sunscreen.
After the bite of an infected mosquito, onset of illness
occurs usually between four and eight days but can range from two to 12 days, so if you have any symptoms of fever or sore joints when you return home after a trip to Los Cabos please contact your doctor.