[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Microbiology](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/) › [RNA arboviruses](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/groups/rna-arboviruses/) › Chikungunya virus

[Microbiology](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/) · [RNA arboviruses](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/groups/rna-arboviruses/)

# Chikungunya virus

- Virus
- Enveloped
- Exam priority: high

A virus spread by Aedes mosquitoes that causes sudden fever with very severe joint pain; in some people the pain lasts months or years.

Updated 2026-11-01

Also called: CHIKV

## Key points

- Alphavirus (Togaviridae) spread by Aedes
- Fever plus severe symmetric polyarthralgia: joint pain dominates
- Can leave chronic arthralgia for months or years
- Lymphopenia is common; thrombocytopenia milder than in dengue

## At a glance

**Shape**
Spherical, icosahedral capsid

**Genome**
Single-stranded, positive-sense RNA

**Envelope**
Enveloped

**Family**
Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus

**Size**
About 60 to 70 nm

## Morphology

- Envelope with glycoproteins E1 and E2
- A single serotype; several genetic lineages

## Transmission

- Bite of female Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, by day
- Vertical spread is possible when the mother is viraemic near delivery

**Reservoir:** Humans during urban epidemics; Non-human primates in African sylvatic cycles

**Vector:** Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus

### Isolation precautions

What the care team adds to standard precautions.

- Standard

## Virulence factors

- Replicates in fibroblasts, macrophages, synovial and muscle tissue
- Persistent viral antigen and joint inflammation sustain chronic arthralgia
- High viraemia in the acute phase, which fuels explosive outbreaks

## Diseases it causes

- Acute chikungunya and later chronic arthralgia [Chikungunya →](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/chikungunya/)

## Clinical picture

- Incubation 4 to 8 days; abrupt fever
- Symmetric, disabling polyarthralgia of hands, wrists and ankles, sometimes with swelling
- Rash, myalgia, headache, fatigue
- Chronic arthralgia or arthritis for weeks, months or years
- Higher risk of severe disease in newborns and older adults with comorbidities

## Diagnosis

- RT-PCR on blood during the first week
- IgM and IgG after the first week
- Marked lymphopenia as a lab clue
- Differential diagnosis with dengue and Zika, which co-circulate

## Treatment

There is no antiviral: rest, fluids and paracetamol. NSAIDs are kept for the subacute or chronic phase once dengue is ruled out; chronic arthritis may be managed with anti-inflammatories and, in selected cases, disease-modifying drugs.

Drug class only; doses and regimens are set by the clinician from the current guideline.

In Pharmacology:

- [Paracetamol](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/paracetamol/)

## Prevention

- Breeding-site control and bite protection, as for dengue
- Vaccines are approved in some countries but still in limited use

## In Colombia

Chikungunya reached Colombia in 2014 and caused a massive epidemic in 2014 and 2015; since then it circulates endemically at low intensity and is notifiable to SIVIGILA.

## Memory aid

The name evokes someone walking bent over: the patient is doubled up by joint pain.

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## Which symptom separates chikungunya from dengue in the acute phase?

Severe, disabling symmetric polyarthralgia, sometimes with joint swelling.

## To which family and genus does chikungunya virus belong?

Family Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus.

## Which sequel is typical of chikungunya?

Chronic arthralgia or arthritis, which can last months or even years.

[Add to my cards (3)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/microbiology/chikungunya-virus/)

## Related

- [Dengue virus](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/dengue-virus/)
- [Zika virus](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/zika-virus/)

## Related conditions

- [Chikungunya](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/chikungunya/)

## What the colours mean

**Gram-positive**
Thick peptidoglycan wall: stains purple.

**Gram-negative**
Thin wall with an outer membrane: stains pink.

**Acid-fast**
Lipid-rich wall (mycobacteria): Ziehl–Neelsen stain.

[← Back to the group: RNA arboviruses](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/groups/rna-arboviruses/)

Educational content on microorganisms; not a treatment guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given.

Sources: [Chikungunya](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/chikungunya) (World Health Organization (WHO), 2025); [Appendix A: Type and Duration of Precautions Recommended for Selected Infections and Conditions](https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/isolation-precautions/appendix-a-type-duration.html) (CDC, 2024).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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Source: https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/chikungunya-virus/
License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/chikungunya-virus/