How to Recognize Chikungunya Fever Symptoms
To recognize chikungunya fever, look for symptoms such as a fever between 102 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit, which will typically last for at least a few days. You may also notice severe and disabling joint pain that affects both sides of your body, especially in your hands and feet. Additionally, you may find that you've developed a flat, red rash, covered in small bumps, around your torso and extremities. Other symptoms to keep an eye out for include headache, muscle pain, conjunctivitis, nausea, and vomiting. If you think you might have chikungunya fever, call your doctor for an appointment and an official diagnosis. They will determine whether or not you have chikungunya fever based on your symptoms, where you've recently traveled, and a blood test.
Look for a high fever. A high fever is one of the first symptoms of chikungunya. The fever typically ranges from 102 to 104 degrees °F (40 degrees °C). The fever often lasts between a few days and a week, and is usually gone before the 10th day. Identify joint pain. It is often severe and disabling. It usually is bilateral (affecting both sides) and mostly affects the hands and feet. The lower limbs and back are less common sites of joint pain. Joint pain can last weeks and may linger up to a year or more in some rare cases. The term “chikungunya” translates to “that which bends up” in the Makonde dialect of Tanzania, which describes the physical appearance of a person with severe clinical features of the disease. In most sufferers the joint pain will last for seven to ten days, however in older patients it may last for longer periods of time. Some people will also have swelling of their joints, also called joint inflammation. Check for a rash. The rash usually occurs after the onset of the fever and is usually maculopapular, which means it will appear as a flat, red area of skin covered with small bumps. It most commonly affects one's torso and extremities. It can also appear on one's palms, soles, and face. Check for additional symptoms. If you have chikungunya, you may also experience headache, muscle pain, conjunctivitis, nausea, and vomiting. Call your doctor if you think you may have chikungunya fever. If you have a fever, joint pain, and a rash, consult your doctor. As chikungunya is difficult to diagnose (and is often misdiagnosed as dengue fever), your doctor will make a diagnosis based on your symptoms, places you've traveled to recently, and by taking a sample of your blood for viral testing. The only way to truly confirm the presence of chikungunya fever, is through laboratory testing of blood serum or cerebrospinal fluid. Blood testing for the virus is done at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and a few state health departments. Tests normally take around 4-14 days to process. By this time, your body has already begun attacking the chikungunya virus. Treat the symptoms of the virus. There are no antiviral drugs designed to treat chikungunya fever itself, however your doctor may prescribe medication to alleviate the symptoms. Your doctor will also advise you to get plenty of bed rest and to drink a lot of fluids to fend off dehydration. For example, fever and joint aches can be managed with acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil), or naproxen (Aleve). Do not take aspirin because of the increased risk of Reye's syndrome — a rare but serious condition that causes liver and brain swelling, especially in children and teenagers. Prevent chikungunya fever by avoiding mosquito bites. Currently, there is no commercial vaccine for chikungunya fever. Therefore, the only way to prevent the virus is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, especially when traveling in areas where the disease is prevalent, such as Africa, Asia, and parts of the Indian subcontinent. If you are at high risk for complications, such as being pregnant or having other serious medical problems, try to avoid going to places with outbreaks if you can. To prevent mosquito bites: Wear long sleeved shirts and and long pants when traveling in high-risk areas. If possible, treat your clothes with permethrin (a type of insecticide) to repel mosquitoes. Use mosquito repellent on exposed skin, preferably one containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or paramenthane-diol (PMD), as these are the most effective and last the longest. Make sure your living accommodations have tightly-fitted insect screens on windows and on doors. Sleep under an insecticide-treated bed net at night and use a net to protect young children and elderly people if they sleep during the day. 
Look for a high fever. Identify joint pain. Check for a rash. Check for additional symptoms. Call your doctor if you think you may have chikungunya fever. Treat the symptoms of the virus. Prevent chikungunya fever by avoiding mosquito bites. 