Chikungunya ( ;
Makonde for "that which bends up") is an
infection caused by the chikungunya
virus. The disease features the sudden onset of
fever two to four days after exposure. The fever usually lasts two to seven days, while accompanying
joint pains typically last weeks or months but sometimes years. The
mortality rate is a little less than 1 in 1000, with the elderly or those with underlying chronic medical problems most likely having severe complications.