Chikungunya or Dengue?

[nuananddon]

Recently there was a news story on our local TV station about Chikungunya, a disease carried by mosquitoes. So I did a Wikipedia search on Chikungunya. What a wealth of info. How come this disease is never mentioned in Thailand? The article states that Dengue Fever and Chikungunya are often misdiagnosed. 2 years ago I was diagnosed with Dengue Fever(twice). Since that I have had very bad joint pain. Just wondering if any other members who were diagnosed with Dengue are having the symptoms of Chikungunya.

[oncearugge]

Not mentioned ?

It is well known !

The only means of differentiating Dengue from Chikungunya is by serology (blood testing) .

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/20/8/14-0481_article

Both diseases tend to run a very similar course with almost identical symptomatology and treatment, in most cases, is limited to symptom relief using Paracetamol and ensuring good hydration.

All those with symptoms of Dengue / Chikungunya should consult a doctor and have a full blood count in addition to serological testing .

Edited September 13, 2015 by oncearugge

[Sheryl]

Yes, clinically Chiki and Dengue are indistinguishable unless it is a complicated (hemorrhagic) form of dengue.

Treatment is also the same (again unless complicated dengue) so it really doesn't matter which one it is.

[nuananddon]

Thank you for the great replies. I've seen Dengue mentioned many times on This forum but I don't recall Chikungunya ever being mentioned or talked about here.