J. Kennedy Amaral

Institute of Diagnostic Medicine of Cariri

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection results from transmission by the mosquito vector. Following an incubation period of 5–7 days, patients develop an acute febrile illness, chikungunya fever (CHIKF), characterized by high fevers, maculopapular rash, headaches, polyarthritis/arthralgias, myalgias, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Joint pain is often...

Chikungunya is an emerging mosquito-borne alphavirus infection. During the past 15 years, the illness has spread from Africa throughout the tropical and subtropical world, affecting millions of people. Chikungunya causes a biphasic illness, beginning with fever, rash, and arthralgia (chikungunya fever), followed in many patients by chronic arthriti...

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the family Togaviridae and genus Alphavirus, that causes an acute febrile illness, chikungunya fever, transmitted to humans by Aedes species mosquitoes. During acute illness, patients have high fever, polyarthralgias/polyarthritis, maculopapular rash, headache, and myalgia that l...

In 50% of patients, chikungunya fever (CHIKF) is followed by arthritic pain that is often chronic, painful, and disabling. To better define the spectrum of pain and disability in chronic CHIK arthritis (CCA), we evaluated 35 consecutive CCA patients seen in a Brazilian rheumatology clinic, using a pain Visual Analog Scale and the Health Assessment...

Chikungunya fever (CHIKF) is an emerging viral infection that has spread widely, along with its Aedes vectors, throughout the tropics and beyond, causing explosive epidemics of acute illness and persistent disabling arthritis. The rheumatic symptoms associated with chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection include polyarthralgia, polyarthritis, morning s...

Introduction: Chronic chikungunya (CHIK) arthritis, an inflammatory arthritis, often follows acute CHIK fever (CHIKF), a viral infection. The pathogenesis of chronic CHIK arthritis is poorly characterized, but may resemble other forms of inflammatory arthritis. Clinically, chronic CHIK arthritis sometimes mimics rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Case re...

Purpose of review: To review the emergence, clinical features, pathogenesis, and treatment of acute chikungunya (CHIK) fever and chronic CHIK arthritis. Recent findings: Since 2004, CHIK, an arboviral infection, has spread throughout the world, infecting millions of people. The illness occurs in two phases: an acute viremic infection followed by...

Objectives: Chikungunya is a rapidly emerging, global viral infection that can cause chronic, debilitating arthritis that in some ways mimics rheumatoid arthritis. This study evaluated the available evidence of the efficacy and safety of methotrexate (MTX), a therapy widely used in rheumatoid arthritis, in the treatment of chronic chikungunya arth...

Chikungunya fever (CHIKF) is an emerging viral infection that has spread widely, along with its Aedes vectors, throughout the tropics and beyond, causing explosive epidemics of both acute illness and persistent disabling arthritis. There is an urgent need to mitigate the devastating impact of this illness, through vector control, personal protectio...