Predictors of chronic arthralgia following chikungunya virus infection

Chikungunya is a viral illness marked by fever and joint pain. While usually self-limiting, up to 43% may develop chronic arthralgia. The objective of this study is to evaluate the frequency and predictors of prolonged joint pain (>90 d) following Chikungunya infection, with limited data available from North India.

A prospective observational study was conducted at a North Indian tertiary care hospital from September 2023 to December 2023 among adults with lab-confirmed Chikungunya. A total of 56 patients were followed up to 4 months to assess joint pain duration and severity. Data were collected through clinical exams and interviews during initial workup and follow up.

All patients had joint pain; 23% reported joint pain lasting for more than 90 days. The ankle was the most commonly affected joint (35.7%), followed by the knee (25%) and metacarpophalangeal joints (21.4%). A comparative correlation between patients of chronic arthralgia and no chronic arthralgia showed significant association with presence of rashes, moderate to severe joint pain and swelling at the disease onset (p value <0.05).

In the present study, moderate to severe joint pain, joint swelling, and skin rashes at disease onset were found to be the predictors of prolonged arthralgia.