Title:Quality of Life and Disability in Chikungunya Arthritis
Volume: 20
Issue: 1
Author(s): Jose Kennedy Amaral*, Peter C. Taylor, Michael E. Weinblatt, Ícaro Bandeira and Robert T. Schoen
Affiliation:
- Institute of Diagnostic Medicine of Cariri, Juazeiro do Norte, Ceará, Brazil
Keywords:
Chikungunya fever, chikungunya arthritis, disability, quality of life, sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis.
Abstract:
Background: Chikungunya virus infection, transmitted by Aedes mosquito vectors,
causes outbreaks of chikungunya fever (CHIKF), throughout the tropical and subtropical world.
Following acute infection, many CHIKF patients develop a second phase, chronic and disabling arthritis.
Objective: To evaluate the impact of chikungunya arthritis (CHIKA) on quality of life and disability
in a cohort of Brazilian CHIKA patients.
Methods: We conducted a descriptive, non-interventionist, retrospective cross-sectional study analysing
data collected from the medical records of chikungunya virus-infected patients treated between
June 1, 2022, and June 30, 2022, in the Brazilian rheumatology clinic of one of us (JKA). To
assess disability, quality of life, and pain, patients were evaluated using the Health Assessment
Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI), 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), and Visual
Analog Scale (VAS) pain.
Results: Forty-two women with a mean (± SD) age of 57.83 (± 13.05) years had CHIKF confirmed
by chikungunya-specific serology. The mean (± SD) time between the onset of chikungunya symptoms
and the first clinic visit was 55.19 (± 25.88) days. At this visit, the mean (± SD) VAS pain
score and DAS28-ESR were 77.26 (± 23.71) and 5.8 (± 1.29), respectively. The mean (± SD) HAQDI
score was 1.52 (± 0.67). The mean (± SD) SF-12 PCS-12 was 29.57 (± 8.62) and SF-12 MCS-12
was 38.42 (± 9.85).
Conclusion: CHIKA is often highly disabling. As the mosquito vectors that transmit this illness have
spread to every continent except Antarctica, there is a potential for widespread public health impact
from CHIKA and the need for more effective, early intervention to prevent CHIKA.
