chikungunya

noun

chik·un·gun·ya | \ ˌchi-kən-ˈgu̇n-yə

, 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 In addition to tackling COVID-19, Moderna has been developing mRNA vaccines against infectious diseases such as Zika and chikungunya, as well as others to fight cancer. — Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, "'A new era': Success of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 mRNA vaccines a major breakthrough," 23 Nov. 2020 Skeeters are vectors for a host of nasty diseases, including malaria, dengue, West Nile, yellow fever, Zika, chikungunya, and lymphatic filariasis. — Bill Heavey, Field & Stream, "The 12 Deadliest Insects in the World," 19 Oct. 2020 There are no licensed vaccines using this backbone, but clinical trials of a chikungunya virus vaccine using this approach show promise. — Helen Branswell, STAT, "Here come the tortoises: In the race for a Covid-19 vaccine, slow starters could still win out," 24 Sep. 2020 Asian Tiger mosquitoes can transfer chikungunya, dengue and Zika viruses. — Chanel Stitt, Detroit Free Press, "Mosquitoes test positive for West Nile virus in Michigan; here's how to prevent infection," 21 Aug. 2020 The species carries yellow fever and dengue, both of which can cause more severe disease in young adults than SARS-CoV-2; Zika virus, which can lead to birth defects; and chikungunya virus, which can leave victims with debilitating joint pain. — Joshua Sokol, The Atlantic, "The Worst Animal in the World," 20 Aug. 2020 The blood-sucking bug can also transmit viruses such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika to people. — Anthony Fenech, Detroit Free Press, "Earthquake adds to crazy year in Michigan: 5 things we can't believe," 22 Aug. 2020 Then in 2006, more than a million people in India may have caught chikungunya. — Joshua Sokol, The Atlantic, "The Worst Animal in the World," 20 Aug. 2020 The trial’s aim is to significantly reduce or eliminate the local population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which are known to spread deadly diseases like Zika, chikungunya and Dengue fever. — sun-sentinel.com, "To combat disease-spreading mosquitoes in the Keys, leaders vote to unleash lab bugs," 19 Aug. 2020

These 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.

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“Chikungunya.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chikungunya. Accessed 2 Mar. 2021.

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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

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