By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

In a follow-up on the chikungunya outbreak in Cambodia, the Ministry of Health is now reporting 1,020 cases across 12 provinces.

Aedes mosquito
Aedes aegypti image/CDC

“More than 80 per cent of the cases had been detected in four provinces, namely Siem Reap, Banteay Meanchey, Preah Vihear and Kampong Cham,” the Health Ministry’s secretary of state and spokeswoman Or Vandine said.

“Usually, CHIKV is not fatal and most of the patients will recover within a week…but patients can die if they simultaneously have other diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and meningitis,” she said.

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Health Minister Mam Bun Heng said: “The measure to prevent the spread of Chikungunya is similar to dengue prevention. So, you have to avoid getting bitten by a female mosquito carrying the Chikungunya virus by removing all mosquito-breeding containers.”

Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. It causes fever and severe joint pain, which is often debilitating. Other symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue, and rash.

The disease shares some clinical signs with dengue and Zika, and can be misdiagnosed in areas where they are common. As there is no cure, treatment is focused on relieving the symptoms.