Chikungunya
Chikungunya is a virus transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquito.
It causes flu-like symptoms with muscle aches, fever and chills, with pain in the small joints of the hands and feet a common symptom.
There have only been imported cases of disease in Australia.
Seasonal risk
Mosquitos are an active part of the Northern Territory (NT) environment.
In Australia there have only been imported cases of chikungunya.
The mosquitoes that can spread chikungunya was briefly established and eliminated in Tennant Creek in March 2006 and 2014 and on Groote Eylandt in May 2008.
In February 2021, mosquitoes were found to be established in Tennant Creek again and an elimination program is underway.
The largest incidence of chikungunya in the NT was in 2010, when 10 cases were reported from travellers returning from Bali, Indonesia.
Notifiable disease
Chikungunya is a notifiable disease.
Information for health professionals
| Type | Resource | Author |
|---|---|---|
| Document | Chikungunya fact sheet PDF (162.0 KB) | NT Health |
| Document | Chikungunya virus infection – Surveillance case definition | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care |
| Document | Alphavirus and flavivirus – Laboratory case definition | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care |
| Document | Mosquito-borne diseases fact sheet PDF (181.7 KB) | NT Health |
| Tropical Health Orientation Manual for health practitioners in Northern Australia | Chikungunya | Centre for Remote Health |
Information for the public
| Type | Resource | Author |
|---|---|---|
| Webpage | Chikungunya | Northern Territory Government Department of Health |
| Webpage | Protecting yourself against mosquitoes | Northern Territory Government |
| Webpage | Chikungunya | HealthDirect |
Contact
Contact the Public Health Unit’s Centre for Disease Control.
Give feedback about this page.
Share this page:
URL copied!