chikungunya
noun
chik·un·gun·ya
| \ ˌchi-kən-ˈgu̇n-yə
, ˌchi-ku̇ŋ-\
, ˌchi-ku̇ŋ-\
Definition of chikungunya
: a febrile disease that resembles dengue, occurs especially in parts of Africa, India, and southeastern Asia, and is caused by a togavirus (species Chikungunya virus of the genus Alphavirus) transmitted especially by aedes mosquitoes
Chikungunya is rarely fatal but can cause severe fevers, headaches, fatigue, nausea, and muscle and joint pains.— Martin Enserink
Examples of chikungunya in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With more trade and travel, scientists worry that diseases not previously seen in the U.S. like Rift Valley fever and chikungunya could spread into the U.S. for the first time. — Sarah Gibbens, National Geographic, "Summertime means disease-carrying insects. Here's what you should know.," 29 July 2019 Moreover, California is home to invasive Aedes mosquitoes, which can transmit Zika, dengue, chikungunya and other exotic viruses. — Bill Quirk, The Mercury News, "Opinion: California faces rising danger of mosquito-borne diseases," 24 July 2019 Get our daily newsletter Zika is a viral infection carried from person to person by Aedes aegypti, which also transmits dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. — The Economist, "Armed with smartphones, Colombians are taking on the local mozzies," 4 July 2019 Dengue, Zika and chikungunya aren't unusual in South Florida, but a new study suggests climate change and an increase in international travel could revive long dormant threats. — Alex Harris, miamiherald, "Mosquito season could get longer and more hazardous to your health — especially in Miami | Miami Herald," 1 May 2018 Diseases spread by mosquitoes, such as dengue fever, chikungunya, and Zika viruses, were almost exclusively transmitted in Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the US Virgin Islands. — Washington Post, BostonGlobe.com, "Diseases spread by ticks, mosquitoes, and fleas more than tripled in the US," 1 May 2018 In tropical regions, people instead contend with malaria, yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses. — Heath Macmillan, Smithsonian, "Why Some Summers Are So Appealing For Mosquitoes," 22 June 2018 Diseases spread by mosquitoes, such as dengue fever, chikungunya and Zika viruses, were almost exclusively transmitted in Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. — Lena H. Sun, chicagotribune.com, "Diseases spread by ticks, mosquitoes and fleas more than tripled in the U.S.," 2 May 2018 Heavy rains and flooding in Kenya compounded a cholera outbreak and a chikungunya epidemic and increased the risk of large-scale spread of the diseases, the United Nations said. — Paul Richardson, Bloomberg.com, "Kenyan Rains Raise Risk of Large-Scale Disease Outbreak, UN Says," 3 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chikungunya.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for chikungunya
chikungunya
noun
chik·un·gun·ya
| \ ˌchik-ən-ˈgu̇n-yə, ˌchik-u̇ŋ-
\
\
Medical Definition of chikungunya
: a febrile disease that resembles dengue, occurs especially in parts of Africa, India, and southeastern Asia, and is caused by a togavirus of the genus Alphavirus (species Chikungunya virus) transmitted by mosquitoes especially of the genus Aedes
— called also chikungunya fever