Minas Gerais already has more than 65 thousand cases of chikungunya confirmed in 2024, according to the latest epidemiological bulletin. To date, there have been 48 deaths caused by the disease.
Among the main symptoms of the disease transmitted by mosquito bites Aedes aegypti they are:
- High fever with chills;
- Headache;
- Severe pain and swelling in the joints;
- And red spots on the body.
The symptom that has taken away the peace of mind of contracting the disease is joint pain followed by swelling. According to infectologist Estevão Urbano, when our body produces antibodies against the virus chikungunyathese antibodies can, even with the virus already eliminated, erroneously recognize, especially in the joints, those tissues that make up the joint as being virus antigens.
Understanding that it is the virus, the body continues to attack those tissues, generating a response similar to that of an autoimmune disease. “It is a false interpretation that those tissues, those joint cells, would be the virus itself. So, there is a continuous aggression of the body’s inflammatory response in those regions”, defines the specialist.
According to the doctor, the time to get rid of the effects of the disease varies greatly between people, and can last weeks, months and even years. Therefore, the more time passes, the greater the number of people who recover. But in some cases, this inflammation can last longer.
“Another intense symptom of chikungunya is swelling in the face due to inflammation, an inflammatory response that occurs in the tissues of the face, just as it happens in the knee. Often, swelling in the face can also be a side effect of the treatment”, says doctor Estevão.
“If a person needs to use, for example, a prolonged amount of corticosteroids to reduce inflammation in the joints, it can also have the side effect of facial edema, swelling, which corticosteroids can eventually cause in the body due to fluid retention”, adds the doctor.
Daily activities can be greatly hampered, as some people are completely unable to even get out of bed. Although there is a variation in the disease severity From person to person, some are unable to do any activity. The reason is exactly this inflammation, which is extremely painful and sometimes even stiffens the joints.
“A chikungunya It can cause the most diverse effects; in the acute phase, it can inflame other organs. Like dengue, the disease can also cause dehydration. In the chronic form, in addition to joint pain and difficulty in activating the motor phase due to joint damage, it can also cause fatigue. The person feels a lack of energy that can last for many months”, explains infectious disease specialist Estevão Urbano.
