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Chikungunya and Dengue Fever are two ailments which bear a host of similarities with each other. In fact, the symptoms for both the diseases include:
- High fever
- A headache
- Pain in the area behind the eyes
- Joint pain
- Rash
- Fatigue
- Nausea
Both of them are viral infections that are transmitted to humans through the bite of the Aedes mosquito. The Aedes aegypti is associated more with the spread of dengue while the Aedes albopictus is more often the Chikungunya virus carrier. However, both types of mosquitoes can spread both Chikungunya as well as Dengue Fever and a person can have both the diseases at the same time as well.
Despite these common factors, there is a wide difference between Chikungunya and Dengue Fever.
| Criteria | Chikungunya | Dengue Fever |
| Virus carrier | Aedes aegypti, as well as Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, can both cause Chikungunya through their bite. | Dengue is caused only by the Aedes aegypti mosquito |
| Virus | Chikungunya is caused by the Togaviridae alphavirus | Dengue is caused by the Flaviviridae flavivirus. |
| The incubation period of the virus | It takes 1 -12 days for the symptoms to appear prominently | Dengue fever has a longer virus incubation period of 3-7 weeks |
| Duration of the condition | Chikungunya affliction stays for almost 1-2 weeks | Dengue fever stays for a longer duration of 4-7 weeks |
| Diagnosis of the disease | ELISA assay is used to measure the levels of immunoglobin in order to identify the chikungunya virus. | ELISA test is performed for detection of antibodies to Flaviviridae flavivirus. |
| Initial Symptoms | Fever, joint pain, headache, rashes are the first signs of the disease | Fever, joint pain, muscle pain, headache, eye infection rashes are the initial symptoms |
| Swelling | Mild swelling is there | More swelling is present than Chikungunya and it persists even after the fever has been cured. |
| Blood Platelet Count | Difference between Chikungunya and Dengue is characterized by the platelet count which is lower than 150,000 platelets per microliter of blood in case of Chikungunya. | Dengue Fever presents a platelet count that falls below 10,000 platelets per microliter of blood. |
| Body pain | Body pain is present | Body pain is there and the intensity is more than that of Chikungunya |
| Rash | A rash appears on the face, trunk, limbs, palms, and feet | Rashes are present on the face, hands, and legs |
| Joint pain | Extreme joint pain is there around hands and knees which may persist even after the patient is cured and all the other symptoms are gone. Many people suffer from a chronic joint pain after suffering from Chikungunya. | Joint pain occurs in knees and shoulders but it is not as high as in Chikungunya |
| Muscle Pain | Muscle pain is not present | There is muscle pain on the back side of the arms and legs. |
| Bleeding | There is no bleeding | In some cases of Dengue fever, the patient may experience bleeding especially in extreme cases of Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever |
| Breathing problems | There is no breathing problem | Some patients may face breathing issues in Dengue |
| Neurological problems | Rare cases of Chikungunya develop neurological problems | This problem is not present in Dengue |
| Lymph nodes | Lymph nodes are normal | The lymph nodes in the neck and groin get enlarged |
| Fatality | One of the main points of difference between Chikungunya and Dengue Fever is the fatality. Chikungunya is rarely fatal. | Dengue fever can be fatal and the number of fatalities due to Dengue till date is much higher than that of Dengue. |
| Vaccines | No vaccine is available for Chikungunya | Some dengue vaccines are being tested but they have not been clinically approved as of now. |
| Home remedies | Ginger and green tea relieve the inflammation |
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There is no difference between Chikungunya and Dengue as far as the prevention from the disease and cure for both of them go. Over the counter, fever and pain-relieving medications are generally prescribed by doctors along with the advice to intake lots of fluids.
