CHIKUNGUNYA VIRUS: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THIS ARBOVIRUS INFECTION? (IN SPANISH)

Abstract

Introduction: for Colombia the arrival of the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) constitutes a potential problem of public health due to in the country as much in rural as urban areas, the presence of the A. Aegypti mosquito, vector of the infection, the same of the dengue virus, is endemic. Objective: To carry out a thematic review referent to the CHIKV and to the febrile syndrome that it causes. Methods: Descriptive bibliographic review, with search in the databases: PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, OvidSP and Medline; including review articles, case reports and clinical trials. Results: 107 articles were found, from which 78 documents were used for convenience between review, research reports, case reports, bulletins and epidemiological reports. Conclusions: The CHIKV is an Alphavirus with an only serotype described. It is one of the 29 species belong to the Alphavirus genus of the Togaviridae family and has two cycles of transmission: Sylvatic or enzootic and urban or epizootic. The incubation period varies between one and twelve days. High fever, cutaneous rash and severe osteoarticular pain are the clinical characteristics that appear in six days, with low lethality and that are difficult to differenciate of other tropical diseases, including Malaria and Dengue. In the majority of the cases, a permanent immunity is acquired. The treatment of the disease is symptomatic and available vaccine does not exist. The sanity authorities must strengthen the programs of vector control to confront this tropical disease. Rev.cienc.biomed. 2014;5(2):317-328. KEYWORDS Chikungunya virus, Chikungunya virus infection, Alphavirus, Alphavirus infections

Keywords

• Chikungunya viru
• Chikungunya virus infection
• Alphavirus
• Alphavirus infections