Mysterious Illness in India Suprisingly Boring

I was holding off reporting on this because I figured it was just something the Indian media was just overhyping, but I will hold out no longer, seeing as AlertNet is now talking about it. Here's what they have to say:

"Hardly anyone knows what chikungunya fever is, but the Indian press is going mad about the mysterious illness. It seems to be catching the media imagination not just because it's rare and has an unusual name, but also because it's coincided with an outbreak of another virus - dengue fever - carried by the same mosquito, aedes aegypti.

Chikungunya doesn't kill, but gives people a fever and all-over aches. Dengue, on the other hand, can be fatal, and there's no vaccine. It comes in several forms, but the haemorrhagic kind makes people bleed from the nose and gums, and kills one in 20 of its victims. The death toll in India is more than 45, with over 3,000 infected, including the prime minister's son-in-law and two grandsons.

China, Cambodia and the Philippines have outbreaks going on too, and Filipino bloggers are questioning the official data. They're also suggesting long sleeves for the daytime - when aedes aegypti bites - and citronella candles outside to keep the pests away. If you're thinking in the long term, then planting eucalyptus and neem trees is another good idea.

If the blogging world had switchboards, they'd be lighting up with accusations of a hidden dengue epidemic in Cuba. It's impossible to tell from 4,000 miles away if details are being covered up, but Cuban officials seem to have been openly fumigating door-to-door, checking people's water tanks, and spraying insecticide with a Soviet-era biplane."

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So why is the Indian media all over chikungunya when dengue season is in full swing? What the hell is chikungunya anyway? Wikipedia tells me a few facts: it's supposed to be rare, mild, and can cause arthritic symptoms. Sounds pretty boring... must be the RLS of India.

This Cuban dengue epidemic on the other hand... That's got legs, baby!