The word Chikungunya means "that which bends up". It was first described in 1952 in Africa.

The name of this disease ‘Chikungunya’ is derived from the Makonde word that means -"that which bends up" and is in reference to the stooped posture that develops due to the arthritic symptoms of the disease.

The first outbreak of the disease was seen in the year 1952, in the Makonde plateau, along the border between Tanzania and Mozambique.

The disease was first described by Marion Robinson and W.H.R. Lumsden in 1955 (1,2).

The first outbreak in India’s was in the year 1963, in Calcutta. Since the first reported case in India in 1963 there have been sporadic outbreaks in varies parts of India.

However recently reports have been shown the re-emergence of the disease in India in 2005, specially in the southern states. Since the outbreak in December 2005 there have been more that 1,80,000 reported cases of Chikungunya in India.

Beginning of 2006 between February to March there have been more than 2000 cases reported in Maharashtra .

Besides India, outbreaks have also been reported in Central & South Africa, Africa, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean.