The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 NewsACR Convergence
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
    • Interprofessional Perspective
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
      • Psoriatic Arthritis
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / Chikungunya Virus May Lead to Long-Term Joint Pain

Chikungunya Virus May Lead to Long-Term Joint Pain

November 18, 2020 • By Linda Childers

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

Along with the rise in temperatures across the globe, doctors have also seen an increase in the number of chikungunya cases, a viral disease spread through mosquito bites that can lead to severe joint pain. Little research has been conducted on how long the virus continues to cause arthritis-like symptoms after the initial infection.

You Might Also Like
  • Mosquito-Borne Chikungunya Virus Can Cause Long-Term Arthritis
  • Chikungunya Virus Vaccine Shows Promise in Early Clinical Trial
  • Chikungunya Fever May Trigger Chronic Articular Symptoms
Also By This Author
  • Ankle Replacement: Are Patients with Ankle Arthritis Good Candidates?

A study, published in the August 2020 issue of The Journal of Rheumatology, found one out of eight patients continue to experience classic joint pain up to three years after being infected with the chikungunya virus (CHIKV).1

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

“Our study marks the longest time a cohort of patients, infected with the CHIKV virus, has been followed,” says Aileen Y. Chang, MD, MSPH, assistant professor of medicine at the George Washington University, Washington, D.C. “Several studies have followed patients for a shorter duration and found symptoms, such as fever and joint pain, lasted for several weeks or months. Our study found, in some patients, the virus may cause severe joint pain that lasts for years.”

As part of their study, Dr. Chang and her colleagues conducted a cross-sectional, follow-up of 120 patients from an initial cohort of 500 patients who reported joint pain two years after infection with CHIKV in Colombia. Patients were diagnosed with CHIKV during the 2014–15 epidemic, and baseline and follow-up symptoms at 40 months were evaluated in serologically confirmed cases.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Dr. Chang says infected patients in the Latin American cohort reported fever and joint pain in their knees, hands, toes and elbows. A quarter of the patients reported no signs of joint pain prior to being infected by the virus.

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), outbreaks of the virus have occurred in Africa, Asia, East Europe and near the Indian and Pacific oceans. The CDC notes that chikungunya was found in late 2013 for the first time in the Americas, on islands in the Caribbean.2 Since 2017, there have been more than a million cases reported in the Americas.

“Although there have long been cases of [chikungunya] found in Americans who travel outside the U.S. to locations where the virus has been reported, we’ve also seen an increase in the number of [chikungunya] cases in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” Dr. Chang says.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

In a previous cohort study, Dr. Chang and her colleagues found 485 of 500 patients had serologically confirmed chikungunya and reported joint pain. The most commonly affected joints were the small joints, including the wrists, ankles and fingers.3

Pages: 1 2 3 | Single Page

Filed Under: Conditions Tagged With: arthritis pain, chikungunya, CHIKV, Chronic pain, Joint Pain

You Might Also Like:
  • Mosquito-Borne Chikungunya Virus Can Cause Long-Term Arthritis
  • Chikungunya Virus Vaccine Shows Promise in Early Clinical Trial
  • Chikungunya Fever May Trigger Chronic Articular Symptoms
  • Cytokine Response Provides Clues to Chikungunya Sequelae

Simple Tasks

Learn more about the ACR’s public awareness campaign and how you can get involved. Help increase visibility of rheumatic diseases and decrease the number of people left untreated.

Visit the Simple Tasks site »

ACR Convergence

Don’t miss rheumatology’s premier scientific meeting for anyone involved in research or the delivery of rheumatologic care or services.

Visit the ACR Convergence site »

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use / Cookie Preferences

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2023 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)