Russia Reports First Case of Chikungunya Fever

(MENAFN) Russia confirmed its initial instance of Chikungunya fever on Friday, with the affected individual hospitalized in a stable but moderate condition, as detailed in a statement from the country's health monitoring agency, Rospotrebnadzor.

The agency noted that it had previously alerted the public to the potential threat of importing the illness from other countries.

As a result, medical professionals had been adequately prepared to respond to such an event.

As per the official statement, the infected patient had traveled to Moscow from Sri Lanka.

Upon arrival, the person sought medical care and was initially admitted to a specialized infectious diseases unit with a preliminary suspicion of dengue fever.

However, diagnostic tests later confirmed the presence of the chikungunya virus.

Despite this development, the risk of the disease spreading within Russia remains minimal. The virus is only transmitted through insect bites, and the species of mosquitoes responsible for its transmission are not present in sufficient numbers in Russia to pose a public health concern.

"Rospotrebnadzor promptly organized and carried out all necessary anti-epidemic measures," the agency emphasized.

According to the same source, border checkpoints across Russia are equipped with systems designed to detect travelers arriving from regions experiencing health crises, especially those exhibiting symptoms of infectious illnesses.

Chikungunya is characterized by symptoms such as high fever, intense joint and muscle pain, nausea, exhaustion, skin rashes, and joint swelling.

There is currently no approved vaccine or targeted medical therapy for this virus, the statement concluded.

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