Chikungunya masquerading as acute rheumatism in an Omani traveler

ABSTRACT

Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease. It typically presents as an acute febrile illness associated with a varying degree of arthralgia and musculoskeletal sequelae. Cases of chikungunya have been reported from more than 40 countries in several continents. Chikungunya is often reported in travelers returning to non-endemic/epidemic countries. With increasing international travel, it is vital that clinicians in non-endemic areas are made aware of this rapidly spreading infection. Increasing international travel [for social, leisure, and business] between Oman and several chikungunya endemic countries including Pakistan may facilitate the introduction of chikungunya to Oman. We report the first imported case of chikungunya in an Omani traveler with a link to the current outbreak in Pakistan