Chikungunya- Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

What is Chikungunya?

Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease which was 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”. 

Symptoms of Chikungunya

You will start witnessing the symptoms 3–7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Fever and joint pain are the most common symptoms, while others include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash. Joint pain in most of the cases, persist for months.

Diagnosis of Chikungunya

Currently, there is no preventive vaccine available for Chikungunya but there is an urgent need for the same. Some of the tests which are available include – Viral culture, serologic and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based tests, etc.

Treatment of Chikungunya

Treatment of Chikungunya includes taking plenty of rest, preventing mosquito bites, drink fluids to prevent dehydration, taking medicines such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or paracetamol to reduce fever and pain. One should not take aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS until dengue can be ruled out to reduce the risk of bleeding) and consult a doctor before taking any medicine.

When should you see your doctor?

You should see a doctor as early as possible if you feel the symptoms of Chikungunya are starting to show up. The doctor will suggest a series of tests to check for the presence of Chikungunya virus in the body and further diagnose a proper course of treatment.

While there are many laboratories for medical testing but we recommend you to visit Dr Dangs lab in Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi, which was started in 1983 with Dr. Manju Dang, MD and Dr. Navin Dang, MD as the 2 partners in Dr Dangs Laboratory. It has evolved to be known as one of the best quality based diagnostic labs in the country. It has received numerous national and international awards and offers a wide menu of tests in Biochemistry, Haematology including Flowcytometry, Microbiology, Molecular biology, Immunology, Histopathology and Cytology.

Career in Clinical Pathology

Clinical pathologists are specialized physicians who diagnose diseases by examining and testing cells, bodily fluids and tissues. They interpret the results of lab tests so that they can inform decisions regarding patient care. Clinical pathologists spend many hours standing or seated at a desk or table. There are a number of careers in clinical pathology including opportunities for both academic and community practice. A few of them are mentioned below:

1. Medical Informatics

A great career choice in clinical pathology is to use the managerial and medical/bio science skills possessed during clinical training and apply these to a career in the private corporate sector.

2. The Combined Internal Medicine / Clinical Pathology Career Path

Other career in clinical pathology includes combination of internal medicine sub specialty practice with clinical pathology. One can combine internal medicine/hematology with running a hematology laboratory or a blood bank or aphaeresis service, or internal medicine/infectious disease practice with a microbiology/hospital epidemiology laboratory.

3. Full-Time Clinical Practice

Many people pursue full time clinical work, especially those trained in both anatomic and clinical pathology (AP/CP) or jointly in internal medicine and CP. Such a career is more often chosen for clinical pathologists in smaller hospitals, where a single individual may direct multiple laboratories, and may also have additional clinical responsibilities, most frequently in anatomical pathology.

4. Physician-scientist career

For individuals who have obtained their MD (but not a PhD) and wish to pursue a physician-scientist career, they can begin post-doctoral research experiences either pre- or, most often, post-residency, or obtain some of that research experience while working toward a PhD degree.

You can make career in clinical pathology and be as successful as Dr. Navin Dang who is running Dr. Dangs lab successfully. Dr. Dangs laboratory is one of the most trusted laboratories for medical tests in Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi. Dr. Dang’s Lab was started in 1983 and became the first private pathology laboratory in the country. Dr. Dangs Lab is run jointly with Dr. Manju Dang who is a specialist in Pathology. The lab provides a wide range of tests and believes in putting patient’s first.

For more information contact Dr. Dangs Lab.