Chikungunya Scare: Lindsay Lohan Released after being Hospitalized with Rare Mosquito-borne Virus

By Cheri Cheng - 22 Jan '15 11:52AM

Lindsay Lohan was hospitalized for a rare mosquito-borne virus known as Chikungunya. The "Mean Girls" star reportedly contracted the illness on her holiday trip in Bora-Bora. She had recently returned to her new home in London after filming a commercial in Los Angeles when she started feeling ill.

TMZ.com was the first to report on this story. According to the celebrity news website, Lohan, 28, was admitted to King Edward VII's hospital for joint pain accompanied by a high fever. As of 10:50 AM PT, the actress has been released from the hospital. The doctors reportedly referred her to a specialist who can help her manage her symptoms.

"She could hardly stand up, she was in so much pain," a source close to the star told The New York Daily News on Wednesday. "But she's in a great hospital now. It's the one recommended by the queen."

The source added, "She was getting better, but with all the traveling, it wore her down, so the virus acted up again. It was like a relapse."

Lohan had previously revealed that she got the virus on her trip.

The most common symptoms of a Chikungunya virus infection are fever and joint pain, which typically manifest three to seven days after a bite. Other symptoms include headache, muscle aches, joint swelling or rash. There are no antiviral medications for the virus. Treatment involves reducing the fever while managing the pain. The majority of patients will recover within a week. Some patients, however, can develop long-term joint pain.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued an advisory, informing travelers that more than 51,100 cases of this virus have been reported in the French Polynesia since October.

The best way to prevent transmission is to protect yourself from mosquitoes. Effective ways of avoiding bites include using insect repellent, wearing clothing that covers bare arms and legs if the weather permits, staying indoors and using air conditioning, and using window/door screens or mosquito nets.