Chikungunya chronic arthralgia: impact on general and mental health and absenteeism from work

Abstract

Background: This study investigated the self-rated general health, mental health, and work absenteeism among patients with laboratory-confirmed chikungunya. Methods: Telephone interviews were conducted with 63 patients ≥22 months after infection. Results: Patients who reported (N=42) or did not report (N=21) chronic arthralgia, defined by duration ≥90 days, had different frequencies for low scores for general health (68.3% vs. 30.0%, respectively; prevalence ratio, 95% confidence interval: 2.3, 1.1-4.6), symptoms of depression (31.7% vs. 15.0%; 2.1, 0.7-6.6), symptoms of anxiety (43.9% vs. 35.0%; 1.3, 0.6-2.5), and work absenteeism (76.5% and 40.0%; 1.9, 0.9-4.2). Conclusions: Chikungunya chronic arthralgia impacts long-term health and work.