Russia registers 1st case of Chikungunya fever

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - The first case of Chikungunya fever was recorded in Russia on Friday, with the patient hospitalized in moderate condition, according to a statement released by the sanitary watchdog Rospotrebnadzor.

Rospotrebnadzor said in a statement that it had earlier warned about the risk of importing the disease from abroad; therefore, specialists were prepared for this situation.

According to the statement, the infected individual arrived in Moscow from Sri Lanka, sought medical assistance and was admitted to an infectious diseases ward with suspected dengue fever. However, test results confirmed infection with the chikungunya virus.

There is currently no risk of spreading chikungunya fever in Russia because transmission occurs exclusively via insect bites, and the population of the transmitter mosquitoes in Russia poses no epidemiological threat, it noted.

"Rospotrebnadzor promptly organized and carried out all necessary anti-epidemic measures," it said.

At border crossing points into Russia, a system is in place to identify individuals arriving from regions with adverse epidemiological situations and displaying symptoms of infectious diseases, it said.

Symptoms of chikungunya include fever, severe joint pain, muscle pain, nausea, fatigue, rash, and swollen joints. No vaccine or specific treatment exists for this viral infection, it added.