Chikungunya fever: rheumatological aspects

Chikungunya fever (CF) is a feral nidal viral disease with the mechanism of transmission by Aedes mosquitoes. All increasing migration flows have carried brought the infection to new regions and, consequently, expanded the disease area, including European countries. CF is of undoubted interest for rheumatologists primarily due to the development of severe joint syndrome (arthralgia/arthritis) developing at all stages of the disease. This review gives data on the etiology, pathogenesis, and epidemiology of CF. It describes in detail the clinical presentations of this disease, methods for its diagnosis and differential diagnosis, as well as main approaches to its therapy.