Health authorities have confirmed the first case of Chikungunya in Romania, a viral disease transmitted by mosquito bites. The patient, a man in his 50s, presented with flu-like symptoms, and the course was complicated by a pre-existing oncological background.
The Chikungunya virus, rarely found in Europe and more common in Africa and South America, has been confirmed in a man in his 50s. The disease is transmitted by the bite of mosquitoes that have previously been infected from sick people. The patient presented symptoms such as fever, joint and muscle pain, fatigue and skin rashes, similar to a flu, and the evolution was more difficult due to a pre-existing oncological background.
“With everything that means a viral infection, with the flu, especially since we are in season. And if it is not in epidemiological contexts, it might be such an exotic disease, not just a simple diagnosis. A patient of this type, when he also has chronic diseases, which pose special problems, can end up as, from such an infection, to develop important complications. For example, it can lead to sepsis, i.e. a generalized infection affecting several organs. We are not talking about this case, we are talking in general”, explained a doctor, in an intervention at Digi24.
Difficult diagnosis and prevention
Establishing the diagnosis of Chikungunya requires special laboratory equipment and specific reagents, as well as the involvement of specialized doctors. “Each time the problem was an Ebola infection or in the case of a SARS-CoV-2 infection, this whole situation, all these challenges meant an approach, in the first moment, at the Matei Balș Institute. You know very well that we have the unit for such situations, we are prepared with absolutely everything that is normal, to do this: to make the diagnosis. It does not mean that it cannot be done in another laboratory as well”the specialist added.
The “Matei Balș” National Institute of Infectious Diseases is prepared to detect such rare viruses and, soon, it will also be able to diagnose the Nipah virus, originating from India.
Chikungunya transmission and associated risks
The virus is only spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes and is not transmitted by direct contact between people. Symptoms appear 3-7 days after the mosquito bite. Although mortality is rare, the disease can cause serious complications, especially in children, the elderly or people with chronic diseases. These include encephalitis, heart failure, kidney complications or damage to the nervous system. Infected pregnant women may have miscarriage or premature birth, and exposed babies may develop malformations or neuromuscular disorders.
“Basically, we don’t have to be quiet, because we have to raise the issue of easy transmission from one person to another. Obviously, the situation in which it would be summer and a mosquito – a mosquito that is in Romania – could transmit from a person who already has the disease to someone who does not. These are important aspects related to this topic“, emphasized the doctor.
Preventive measures
Specialists recommend protection against mosquitoes by wearing long-sleeved clothes and pants, using mosquito nets, repellents and avoiding travel to areas with active outbreaks for pregnant women. There is no specific treatment or vaccine against Chikungunya, prevention being the only effective method of protection.
The diagnosed patient is to be discharged, and the medical authorities continue to monitor the cases to prevent the spread of the virus.
