Chikungunya arthritis: an emerging rheumatologic problem

Abstract

For the rheumatologist, the main interest in the disease is the possibility of progressing with chronic debilitating arthritis. By the way, in the Makonde language of Tanzania, where the disease was first described, chikungunya means “that which bends up”, because of intensity of the pain, in a clear reference to the musculoskeletal involvement of the disease. From the public health point of view, the disease burden can be high, with an estimated cost of Chikungunya outbreaks in the Americas around US$185 billion, which is associated with a loss of 23.8 million disability adjusted life years (DALYs) [2].