An overview of Chikungunya virus.

Chikungunya fever is a viral infection caused by the Chikungunya virus that causes abrupt onset of fever, debilitating arthralgias and myalgias, and some rare but serious atypical presentations in infected patients. This mosquito-borne virus may not be familiar to North American healthcare providers. This article describes the causes, epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic and screening measures, management guidelines, and future research prospects for Chikungunya infection.