sickie mozzies with "the gunya"

CHIKUNGUNYA, pronounced "chicken-GOON-ya"

Another challenge has entered stage left here in Colombo, here in Sri Lanka....a mosquito transmitted virus called Chikungunya. It has now reached near epidemic proportions in some Districts of Sri Lanka, including areas of Colombo, including OUR area of Colombo, affecting many people we know, including our colleague/friend Rohani.

Fever, severe joint pain, headache, nausea, prolonged fatigue. It's bad. One woman said that her joint pain was worse than the pain of childbirth...damn.

Chikungunya is Swahili for "that which bends up". It is transmitted by the same kind of mosquito that transmits dengue fever, another favorite here in Colombo.

With the heavy rains we have noticed an increase in the numbers of mosquitos in our apartment and at work. We are taking our mosquito zapping to a whole new level. Vector control. Avoiding the bite is becoming a serious daily objective. We are preparing for our visit home and not really wanting to be "that which bends up" on the plane, in London, at home, over Christmas, over New Years, nor in Paris....9 days til liftoff.

Message to the sickie mozzies: dear fellow sentient beings, please don't bite.