UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: Fever and Polyarthralgia

Keywords: International, Chikungunya, vector-borne, (PubMed Search)

Posted: 3/5/2014 by Andrea Tenner, MD
Click here to contact Andrea Tenner, MD

Case Presentation:

53 yo male presents with fever, myalgia, maculopapular rash, and severe polyarthralgia. He just returned from a cruise to the Caribbean islands.

Clinical Question:

What is the diagnosis?

Answer:

Chikungunya Virus

Travelers who go to the Caribbean are at risk of getting chikungunya. Cases have been reported in Saint Martin, Martinique, and Guadeloupe. In addition, travelers to Africa, Asia, and islands in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific are also at risk.
Mosquito vector, incubation 3-7 days
Joints involved are typically hands and feet, usually symmetric, severe arthralgia often debilitating
Dx: serology - ELISA, IgM
Treatment: IVF, NSAIDS, supportive

Bottom Line:

Include Chikungunya in your differential of non-specific fever, rash, headache and arthralgia in travelers the Caribbean and endemic areas.

University of Maryland Section of Global Emergency Health

Author: Veronica Pei, MD