A 45-year-old man returns from Kerala with high fever and a maculopapular rash. He reports excruciating pain in the small joints of both hands and feet that began with the fever and persists unabated three months later. The causative agent belongs to:
- A Flavivirus genus of the family Flaviviridae
- B Phlebovirus genus of the family Phenuiviridae
- C Alphavirus genus of the family Togaviridae ✓
- D Orthobunyavirus genus of the family Peribunyaviridae
Correct answer: C. Alphavirus genus of the family Togaviridae
Explanation
Chikungunya virus is an alphavirus of the family Togaviridae, transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Its hallmark distinguishing feature from dengue is severe, often incapacitating polyarthralgia of small joints that can persist for months, sometimes years. Dengue virus is a flavivirus and produces retro-orbital pain, myalgia, and bleeding tendencies rather than prolonged arthritis, which eliminates option A.
Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.