2023-11-10 11:36:38
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gives the world’s first vaccine against chikungunya the green light. Chikungunya is a viral disease, characterized by fever and severe pain, which is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. The vaccine, developed by the French biotechnology company Valneva, will be marketed under the name Ixchiq*, and “has been approved for people aged 18 years and older who are at increased risk of exposure”, highlighted the FDA.
After an incubation period of 2-12 days, those affected by the disease suddenly experience fever and pain in the joints which limit the patients’ movements (hence the name chikungunya, which in Swahili means ‘that which curves’ or ‘writhes’), who therefore tend to remain absolutely still and assume pain-relieving positions. Other symptoms include muscle pain, headache, fatigue and skin rash. Joint pain is often debilitating, generally lasting a few days but can also last for several weeks. Furthermore, the chikungunya virus can cause acute, subacute or chronic diseases”, underlines an in-depth analysis by the ISS on its website.
“In most cases patients recover completely however, in some cases joint pain may persist for months or even years. Often the symptoms of infected people are mild and the infection may go unrecognized or misinterpreted, especially in areas where dengue is present. Ocular, neurological, cardiac and gastrointestinal complications have occasionally been reported. Serious complications rarely occur, however in the elderly the disease can be a contributing cause of death”, concludes the ISS.
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