Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne arthritogenic alphavirus that has recently been introduced to Brazil. We report the case of a 36-year-old male patient from the City of Rio de Janeiro who developed molecularly-confi rmed CHIKV disease and whose clinical picture was remarkable because of acute arthritis of an interphalangeal joint that had been damaged by trauma 8 years previously. This case illustrates that acute CHIKV disease may preferentially target previously damaged joints. Careful study of individual cases may provide valuable information on the presentation and management of this emerging zoonosis in Brazil.