Abstract

BackgroundImported cases of arbovirus infections associated with persistent arthralgia in travelers returning from endemic areas are often misdiagnosed due to overlapping clinical presentations and lack of widely available diagnostic testing. Identifying differences in joint involvement between arboviruses that cause persistent arthralgia may facilitate an earlier diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to determine if such distinct joint involvement has been reported in published literature for arbovirus-associated persistent arthralgia.MethodsChikungunya (CHIKV), Ross River Virus (RRV), Sindbis Virus (SINV) and Mayaro Virus (MAYV) were selected for their association with persistent arthralgia. Candidate manuscripts were identified using the PubMed database and search terms included virus names as well as terms associated with persistent arthralgia. Inclusion criteria consisted of 1) patient data on persistent arthralgia and 2) description of joint involvement. Joint involvement data was manually extracted and compared between viruses using a Fisher’s exact test. Pairwise post-hoc comparisons were then conducted using Fisher’s exact test and a Bonferroni correction was applied.ResultsData from 1,833 patients were extracted from 57 manuscripts that met inclusion criteria (RRV = 194, SINV = 87, CHIKV = 1,526, MAYV = 26). Reported involvement of hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, ankles and knees were recorded (Table 1). Distribution of joint involvement was then calculated for each virus (Figure 1). The difference in distribution of joint pain between the four arboviruses was statistically significant (P = 0.004). Comparisons revealed RRV and CHIKV are distinguishable from each other (P = 0.004).Table 1. Reported Joint Involvement Figure 1. Distribution of Joint Involvement ConclusionThese findings suggest that differences in distribution in joint involvement may exist between patients with persistent arthralgia following arbovirus infection. Future studies aimed at more clearly elucidating these differences are warranted and may help develop a more rapid and accurate diagnostic algorithm that could improve patient care.Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.