Bone flu, aka chikungunya: symptoms, causes and remedies

Have you ever felt sick with the flu, but the one that really hurts is actually your bone area? Maybe you have the bone flu, also known as Chikungunya. The virus that causes bone flu is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito.

What is bone flu and what causes it?

Bone flu is another name for Chikungunya disease. This disease is caused by a type of Chikungunya virus of the genus Alphavirus and the Togaviridae family. This virus is spread to humans by the bite of a female mosquito Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus who are infected . Both are mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus, which causes dengue fever (DHF). That is why, a person can be infected with Chikungunya and DHF at the same time.

Chikungunya originates from the Swahili language which means describing the symptoms of bone flu that a sufferer experiences, which makes the sufferer in a twisted or bent position due to severe joint pain. Another source states that Chikungunya comes from the Makonde language which means upward curving. This condition refers to a hunchbacked body due to symptoms of bone flu which causes sufferers to experience joint pain.

The mosquito that causes bone flu usually bites most often during the day when humans are doing activities. But in some cases, the mosquitoes that cause bone flu can also infect at night.

The Chikungunya virus rarely spreads from mother to baby around the time of birth. The process of breastfeeding is also known not to transmit this disease virus.

Bone flu cases in Indonesia

Chikungunya virus was first identified during an outbreak in 1952 in the Newala region of Tanzania. Then this disease spread to Africa, Asia, Europe, as well as in Indian and Pacific waters.

However, the virus that causes bone flu is still not certain when it first spread to Indonesia. Quoted from the Research and Development Journal of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, it is known that chikungunya was first reported in Samarinda in 1973. In early 2001, Chikungunya fever outbreaks occurred in Muara Enim, South Sumatra, and Aceh.

This disease affects people of all ages and genders. Compared to dengue fever, chikungunya is relatively harmless and life threatening. Even so, this disease still requires appropriate treatment in order to accelerate the healing of the sufferer.

What increases my risk of getting this disease?

There are many risk factors that can cause bone flu. Some of these include:

• Living in a tropical country
• Travel to an area affected by an outbreak
• Living in an environment with poor hygiene or sanitation

What are the symptoms of bone flu to look out for?

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that the most typical symptoms of bone flu are fever and pain in the joints, especially the joints of the knees, ankles, toes and hands, as well as the spine. Fever from the symptoms of bone flu usually ranges from 39-40 degrees Celsius, but without the typical pattern as in dengue fever. In addition, the patient's skin will also appear reddish or a rash during fever, red eyes, flu symptoms appear, often accompanied by seizures, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and sometimes diarrhea.

Chikungunya virus or bone flu usually has an incubation period of 2-4 days, while symptoms appear between 3 to 10 days after the bite of an infected mosquito. In some cases, an infected person may not experience the symptoms of the bone flu mentioned above at all.

Paralysis can occur in cases of severe chikungunya fever that are not treated properly. Even so, this paralysis is only temporary as an effect of the virus in the blood which causes pain in the bones and around the joints. As a result, it becomes difficult for you to move your body, so you feel like you are feeling paralyzed.

In detail, some things you should know about the symptoms of bone flu are:

• Most people who are infected will show symptoms of bone flu as mentioned above.
• Symptoms of bone flu usually begin 2-4 days after being bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus.
• Although they usually don't cause death, the symptoms can be severe, even debilitating. Even so, this paralysis was only temporary.
• Most patients feel better within a week. In some people, joint pain can persist for several months.
• The most susceptible to developing bone flu are people with weak immune systems, such as newborns, the elderly, and people with medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease.
• People who have been infected will be protected from future infections.

Some of the other symptoms or signs may not be listed or have not been identified. If you feel anxious about the symptoms of bone flu as mentioned above, consult your doctor immediately. The doctor will perform a series of physical examinations and other supporting tests to find the cause of the disease you are experiencing.

It should be understood that Chikungunya disease rarely causes fatal and life-threatening complications. However, the symptoms of this disease may be bothersome and may take several days to heal. Therefore, proper and fast handling is needed so that the patient's healing process can run more optimally.

Distinguishing symptoms of bone flu and dengue fever

Some people who are infected with the virus that causes bone flu are often misdiagnosed with dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). The reason is, the symptoms of bone flu and dengue are almost the same. Because often the diagnosis is wrong, the patient does not receive the right treatment.

Although the bone flu and dengue fever are caused by the same type of mosquito, the causes of the virus are different. Chikungunya aka bone flu is caused by the Chikungunya virus, while dengue is caused by the Dengue virus. In addition, these two diseases actually have distinctive symptoms.

The typical symptom of dengue fever is a high fever reaching 40 degrees Celsius. The dengue fever cycle is generally patterned like a horse saddle. Symptoms of DHF are also usually accompanied by the appearance of red spots under the skin that occur due to bleeding and when pressed, the red spots do not fade. Apart from red spots, people with dengue fever also often experience nosebleeds and light bleeding on the gums.

While the symptoms of bone flu in addition to fever and a red rash, another typical sign is pain or stiffness in the joints. People who are infected with this disease usually experience extreme pain or soreness in the muscles and joints due to enlarged lymph nodes. That's why chikungunya is often referred to as the bone flu because this disease affects the joints of the sufferer.

How do you diagnose bone flu?

The symptoms of Chikunganya fever are very similar to those of other diseases such as dengue fever and Zika. As a result, physical diagnosis is considered inaccurate to detect the exact cause of the disease. That is why, the only way to make sure your fever is a symptom of bone flu is to do a blood test.

So, if you have a high fever that has been going on for more than three days, immediately get a blood test at the nearest laboratory. By doing a blood test, you will know exactly what disease you are experiencing.

However, this examination will be effective if your high fever has lasted two to three days. The reason is, the fever that has only lasted one day can not be known what the underlying cause is.

What are the treatment options for this disease?

There is no specific drug to treat bone flu, aka Chikungunya. Existing treatments aim to reduce fever symptoms. If you have Chikungunya fever, your doctor will usually recommend complete bed rest (bed rest) and drink lots of fluids to avoid dehydration, and avoid mosquito bites.

To relieve symptoms of joint pain and fever, your doctor may prescribe several medications, including:

• Naproxen
• Ibuprofen
• Acetaminophen

You should not take other drugs without your doctor's permission, especially aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). If you are taking other medications for other medical conditions, talk with your doctor before using additional medicines. For pain that doesn't go away, physiotherapy may be needed.

Bone flu is a disease of its nature self limiting disease alias can heal by itself. The incubation period for the disease is about two to four days, while the symptoms can be felt from three to ten days.

The viruses that cause bone flu are rarely fatal, but the symptoms they cause can be severe and disabling. Most patients recover from fever within a week. Unfortunately, the symptoms of joint pain that you feel can last for months, or even years. About 20 percent of patients report recurrent joint pain.

Death from complications of this disease is also very rare, but the virus can sometimes cause serious problems. Especially experienced by the elderly who have a history of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes, or heart disease.

Is there a vaccine to prevent this disease?

Unfortunately, until now there is no vaccine at all to prevent chikungunya or bone flu. There is not even a drug to treat the virus. In general, bone flu is a disease that is rarely fatal. Provided that it is treated in the right way.

So, how do you prevent this disease?

One of the most effective and simple prevention methods so as not to get bone flu is to use a mosquito repellent. The reason is, the main transmission of bone flu disease is by mosquito bites. That is why, the best method of prevention is to reduce contact with mosquitoes.

Steps that can be taken to prevent bone flu are:

• Using insect repellent containing DEET (N, N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide) or picaridin on parts of the body that are not covered by clothing.
• Use mosquito netting. Mosquito netting is useful for preventing the entry of mosquitoes from outside the house. You can attach these mosquito netting to your doors and windows.
• Wearing clothes and trousers that cover the whole body.
• Avoid doing activities outside the room in the afternoon and evening.
• Use products that contain lemon eucalyptus oil or PMD (p-Menthane-3,8-diol).
• Make sure your home has good air circulation and lighting.
• If necessary, you can also use the air conditioner so that mosquitoes do not enter and breed in your room.
• Apart from using lotion mosquito repellent, using a mosquito net while sleeping can also help avoid mosquito bites and prevent this disease. This is because the mosquitoes that cause bone flu are active at night until before dawn.
• Avoid traveling to areas that are experiencing an outbreak of bone flu, aka Chikungunya.
• Spraying or fogging the environment around your house to prevent mosquito larvae that cause bone flu from reproducing.
• Clean the tub at least once a week. The reason is, water is the most preferred breeding ground for mosquitoes that cause bone flu. Cleaning your bathtub at least once a week can break the life cycle of the mosquito that causes Chikungunya.
• Pay attention to your household furniture that holds water. Basins filled with water, flower vases, buckets, and other containers that can hold water have the potential to become a place for the mosquitoes that cause Chikungunya to nest. So, be diligent in cleaning these places at least twice a week to reduce the risk of mosquitoes carrying the Chikungunya virus.
• Do not stack or hang clothes for too long. Every now and then look at your coat hanger behind the door. Piling up dirty clothes can be a favorite place for mosquitoes to catch. Indeed, a pile of dirty clothes is not a place for mosquitoes to breed, but is a favorite place for mosquitoes to perch. This is because mosquitoes like human scent. If you do have to put your used clothes back in, put them in a clean, closed place.
• If you suspect you or a family member might develop the symptoms of bone flu as mentioned above, especially if you recently went to an outbreak site, consult a doctor immediately. The doctor will perform a series of tests to determine the cause.

Although bone flu is a disease that rarely causes fatal complications, the symptoms of this disease may be annoying and can last a long time. That is why, avoiding mosquitoes is the key so that you do not get this disease.