Lindsay Lohan has reportedly been hospitalized after contracting a rare virus from Bora Bora. She was on vacation in the country when she was bitten by a mosquito. However, she refused to allow it to ruin her time off, according to an initial tweet.
Lohan was visiting the country over the holiday season, and tweeted on New Year’s Eve that she had contracted the virus. It causes severe joint pain and fever, but told her fans not to worry. She was optimistic and wanted to have fun while away. While on vacation, she was also filming for an Esurance commercial on the French Polynesian island.
According to reports, the pain has been “unbearable” and she was later admitted to London’s King Edward VII hospital. The disease has officially been named as chikungunya and is incurable. There is also no vaccine to prevent the onset of the disease, which can take between two and 12 days for symptoms to appear.
E! Online now reports that the star has left the hospital. She returned to performing some community service in England, while also appearing in Speed-the-Plow onstage.
Chikungunya is spread through mosquitoes, and can cause the fever and joint pain. It can also cause nausea, fatigue and rashes to appear on the skin. According to doctors, it could take up to a year for the virus to completely leave the actress’ system, and there are likely some good and bad days. A source has said that she is certainly not doing well, and that she looked ill when in New York 10 days ago.
The rare Bora Bora virus that she contracted has reportedly hospitalized Lohan temporarily. The star’s mother wanted to take no chances though, and pushed for her daughter to return home. Dina Lohan is reportedly very worried, and would like her daughter back in New York as soon as possible so she can keep an eye on her.
The virus can be extremely dangerous, and a small number of people die from it. According to the World Health Organization, the disease can sometimes be misdiagnosed as dengue, due to similar clinical signs. The good news is that Lohan was diagnosed correctly right away, and started receiving treatment that would help to relieve the symptoms. It is not contagious between humans.
After contracting the disease, the Mean Girls actress shared the news with her social media followers. She wanted to warn them about it, so that they would use insect repellent if visiting countries with possible-infected mosquitoes. Prevention is the best option, with wearing long sleeves and trousers and using screens to protect from mosquitoes getting in being among the most popular options.
Lohan has reportedly returned to work, and is dealing with the disease one day at a time. She has reportedly remained in England, despite her mom wanting her to return to New York. A source close to the star says that while she is strong, she is also scared. That fear multiplied when Lohan was hospitalized after contracting the rare Bora Bora virus.
By Alexandria Ingham
Sources:
E! Online
Photo by EyesOnFire89 – Flickr License
