Causes of chikungunya
As said before, Chikungunya disease is transmitted among humans by the bite of infected mosquitoes. The primary transmission agent for Chikungunya Virus (CHIKV) is Aedes aegypti mosquito. This type of mosquito is also known as yellow fever mosquito.
This species of mosquito is usually found in tropics. For this reason, the spread of Chikungunya is predominantly seen in Asian and African countries.
Recently, another mosquito species named Aedes albopictus is found to be a carrier of the disease.
The Aedes mosquito has evolved over the years and has effectively adapted itself for biting humans. While approaching humans, they reduce the humming of wings and attack from below to ensure minimal detection. This species of mosquito are usually seen in the urban areas, however recently they are have also migrated to many rural areas.
The Aedes mosquito needs only 2ml of water for breeding. After breeding the eggs can lay dormant up to one year. A carrier mosquito is capable of transmitting the virus to the next generation. However, the Chikungunya virus is sensitive to heat. It is a RNA virus and is classified into three major groups, namely, West African, Central African and Asian.
However, so far there is no evidence to indicate a person-to-person transmission of the disease.
Next page: Symptoms of chikungunya
Written by: healthplus24 team
Date last updated: July 12, 2011