Is any preventive medicine available in USA for chikun guniya?

Question

I am traveling to a chikun guniya affected area in India next month . Is there any vaccine available in United States for this disease.

Answer 1

Sorry, there is no preventative vaccine for this viral infection, here in the U.S. or anywhere else...just as there is no specific treatment. It has to run its course and is treated symptomatically.

Some things have been tried in the past for treating it, such as chloroquine, but with very limited success. Best that can be done is to treat the symptoms: rest, NSAIDS (non-steroid anti-inflamatory drugs) such as ibuprofen for fever and joint pain, and mild exercise for stiffness. Sometimes, doctors will order paracetamol to combat the fever and joint pain.

Chikungunya usually starts suddenly and the symptoms are:
fever
chills
headache
nausea
vomiting
joint pain
rash

The best thing to do is to take measures to avoid contracting it by doing all you can to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes:
wear clothing that covers as much of your body as possible
avoid areas of stagnant water
use mosquito repellent (on body and clothing)
use mosquito nets when sleeping