Spain – Chikungunya

Three locally acquired cases of chikungunya have been reported by the Spanish health authorities, the first ever locally transmitted. A mosquito borne disease with an incubation period of 1-12 days, the disease is characterized by joint pain and sudden onset of high fever. Other symptoms include headache, conjunctivitis, nausea and vomiting and a rash. Joint pain is often severe and involves multiple joints, though commonly found in hands and feet. Acute symptoms usually resolve in 7-10 days but joint pain has been reported as persisting in some sufferers for months and even years. With no vaccine available, mosquito avoidance measures are recommended.