Virus chikunguña: un nuevo reto para la salud en Colombia

Chikungunya virus has drawn worldwide attention due to its recent reemergence causing considerable morbidity and suffering. A number of chikungunya outbreaks have occurred in Asia, Africa, and Europe, and since late 2013, the virus is present in Americas. The mosquitoes in the genus Aedes, the main disease vectors of chikungunya, have a broad distribution throughout the Americas. Therefore, there is a high risk to the virus invasion and spread in South America region. Currently, there is neither a vaccine nor an antiviral treatment available for chikungunya virus infection. The clinical presentation of chikungunya is often confused with dengue fever, especially in tropical and subtropical areas where this infection is frequent, so doing an appropriate differential diagnosis between both is crucial to ensure an appropriate clinical management. This review include a general view of the chikungunya virus, from the epidemiology, the causative agent, the vectors, the signs and symptoms of the disease, the clinical diagnosis and laboratory and the epidemiological surveillance. This information is important to preparation and response before the eventual introduction of chikungunya in our population, which will probably happen in the near future.