Chikungunya virus infection in travellers to Australia.
We report eight recent cases of Chikungunya virus infection in travellers to Australia. Patients presented with fevers, rigors, headaches, arthralgia, and rash. The current Indian Ocean epidemic and Italian outbreak have featured prominently on Internet infectious disease bulletins, and Chikungunya virus infection had been anticipated in travellers from the outbreak areas. Diagnosis was by a generic alphavirus reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction with confirmatory sequencing. Prompt diagnosis of Chikungunya virus infections is of public health significance as the mosquito vectors for transmission exist in Australia. There is potential for this infection to spread in the largely naïve Australian population.
Johnson
Douglas F
DF
Austin Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. dougjohnson9@hotmail.com
Druce
Julian D
JD
Chapman
Scott
S
Swaminathan
Ashwin
A
Wolf
Josh
J
Richards
Jack S
JS
Korman
Tony
T
Birch
Chris
C
Richards
Michael J
MJ
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D018354:Alphavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000821:virology; D001315:Australia; D002646:Chikungunya virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002648:Child; D003236:Conjunctivitis, Viral / Q000209:etiology; D005076:Exanthema / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000821:virology; D006261:Headache / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000821:virology; D014195:Travel
D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase