Retiring Guy's Digest: According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the first known use of 'chikungunya' occurred in 1954

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the first known use of 'chikungunya' occurred in 1954

Graphic and headline: Al Jazeera, 8/6/2025

In China, an outbreak has infected roughly 7,000 people since late June, with most cases concentrated in the city of Foshan, in Guangdong province, just north of Hong Kong. This marks the country’s largest chikungunya outbreak since the virus was first identified there in 2008.
Here is what we know about the disease and how it is spreading.
Chikungunya is a viral disease that is spread through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. These mosquitoes also carry and spread dengue, yellow fever and the Zika virus.
The name, chikungunya, derives from a word in the Kimakonde language, spoken in Tanzania and Mozambique, meaning “to become contorted”.
In most cases, patients will feel better within a week. In many cases, however, the joint pain can last for months or even years.

Merrian-Webster definition of "chikungunya".

Other coinages from the same year: (explanation of first-known use):