Chikungunya virus
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Fact sheet - Health conditions directory
Chikungunya is a viral disease that is spread to humans by mosquitoes. It was first described in 1952 in Tanzania (in East Africa). Outbreaks and epidemics have since been reported from many African countries, as well as from Indian Ocean island nations, the Indian subcontinent, South East Asia and, more recently, the Pacific region and Caribbean. Chikungunya has been diagnosed in travellers from affected countries who have recently arrived in Australia. Although locally-acquired chikungunya has not been detected in Australia (to the end of June 2014), mosquitoes capable of transmitting chikungunya virus occur in north Queensland, Torres Strait and some locations in central and southern Queensland.
Public health management guidelines
Notification
Pathology laboratories
Attending medical practitioners/medical superintendents (or delegates)
In north Queensland and other areas where Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquitos are known to be present, treating doctors should notify clinically suspected cases to the relevant local public health unit immediately, before laboratory results become available.
Notification resources
- List of all Pathological, clinical and provisional diagnosis notifiable conditions
- List of Public Health Unit contacts
- Notifiable conditions report form for Queensland doctors/clinicians (PHA S70) or person in charge of a Hospital (PHA S71) (PDF, 77kB) - if faxing notification, follow up by phone.
Enhanced surveillance for Public Health Units
- Case
report form (PDF, 185kB)
- used by public health units to collect and manage more detailed information
for enhanced case surveillance.
Resources for health professionals
- Queensland chikungunya management plan 2014–2019 (PDF, 919kB) – provides strategic guidance for best practice public health management of chikungunya in Queensland.
- Mosquito borne diseases – information for health professionals.
- Guidelines to minimise mosquito and biting midge problems in new development areas (PDF, 195kB) - assists local government and developers when creating and implementing development plans and insect mitigation programs.
