Imported Chikungunya Case Confirmed in Moscow

On 4 February, Moscow recorded a new case of chikungunya fever. An infected tourist arrived from a holiday on the islands. The case was confirmed by Rospotrebnadzor (Russia«s consumer rights protection agency).

«The infected person arrived in Moscow after a vacation in the Seychelles. During the trip, she noted mosquito bites and did not use repellents. After returning to the country, she was hospitalized. A positive result for the chikungunya virus was obtained using domestic highly sensitive Rospotrebnadzor test systems,» the agency stated.

According to Rospotrebnadzor, the patient is now receiving treatment in hospital, and all necessary anti-epidemic measures have been taken. The agency also noted that the risk of the infection spreading within the country is minimal, as the virus is transmitted not through airborne droplets but only through the bite of an infected mosquito. This is why isolated imported cases do not turn into outbreaks.

Chikungunya fever was first identified in 1952 in Tanzania. The name translates from the Makonde language as «that which bends up» — due to the characteristic gait of patients suffering from severe joint pain. The virus is not transmitted from person to person, except for possible transmission from mother to child during childbirth.

According to Rospotrebnadzor, there are currently no sustainable populations of chikungunya-carrying mosquitoes in Russia, and climatic and environmental conditions do not favor them. Endemic areas where infections are possible include sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South America, Southeast Asia, the Western Pacific region, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Indian subcontinent. Rospotrebnadzor urges Muscovites traveling to these destinations to protect themselves from insect bites with repellents.

More details about the disease and its symptoms can be found in our article.