Dr. Petros Karayiannis, Professor of Microbiology & Molecular Virology at the University of Cyprus has said that the island nation is under no threat from the mosquito-borne disease.
However, he has confirmed that there may be a slight transmission risk.
The Chikungunya virus was identified in 1952 in Tanzania in 1952, and has been found to has cause outbreaks of various sizes, primarily in sub-tropical and tropical areas.
Several case clusters have been spotted in countries such as France and China – although Cyprus is not facing any such issue at the moment.
Dr. Karayiannis mentioned that Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus – the mosquito variants which are responsible for transmission, have been found on the island nation. However, he added that for the transmission to actually happen, the mosquitoes need to bite an infected traveler, which would lead to the spread of the virus.
Much like Dengue, Chikungunya spreads via the bites of mosquitoes. There are also overlap with symptoms – most common of them pain in the joints and muscles, headaches, rash and of course fever. Most people recover without major complications – but the elderly, children and those with co-morbidities might be at risk of death.
The disease has neither a vaccine not an antiviral course of treatment. The only action is the treatment of symptoms till they ease up – and of course prevention in the first place. Those living and especially traveling to areas with case clusters have been advised to wear protective clothing, use an insect repellent, and sleep inside a mosquito net. They can also use electric fans, which have been known to deter the activity of mosquitoes.
Due to its symptoms resembling other mosquito-borne diseases such as yellow fever, dengue and Zika, a PCR test is the only way to confirm the presence of the virus.
