Chikungunya: epidemiology

Chikungunya virus is a mosquito-borne alphavirus that causes fever and debilitating joint pains in humans. Joint pains may last months or years. It is vectored primarily by the tropical and sub-tropical mosquito, Aedes aegypti, but is also found to be transmitted by Aedes albopictus, a mosquito species that can also be found in more temperate climates. In recent years, the virus has risen from relative obscurity to become a global public health menace affecting millions of persons throughout the tropical and sub-tropical world and, as such, has also become a frequent cause of travel-associated febrile illness. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of the biological and sociological underpinnings of its emergence and its future global outlook.

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Dengue fever and chikungunya virus infections: identification in travelers in Uganda – 2017

Tropical Diseases Travel Medicine and Vaccines ◽

10.1186/s40794-019-0099-3 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Author(s):

John T. Kayiwa ◽

Annet M. Nankya ◽

Irene Ataliba ◽

Charity A. Nassuna ◽

Isaac E. Omara ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Dengue Fever ◽

Chikungunya Virus ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Febrile Illness ◽

Final Diagnosis ◽

Differential Diagnoses ◽

Global Public Health ◽

Emerging Viruses ◽

Public Health Importance

AbstractArboviruses are (re-) emerging viruses that cause significant morbidity globally. Clinical manifestations usually consist of a non-specific febrile illness that may be accompanied by rash, arthralgia and arthritis and/or with neurological or hemorrhagic syndromes. The broad range of differential diagnoses of other infectious and non-infectious etiologies presents a challenge for clinicians. While knowledge of the geographic distribution of pathogens and the current epidemiological situation, incubation periods, exposure risk factors and vaccination history can help guide the diagnostic approach, the non-specific and variable clinical presentation can delay final diagnosis. This case report summarizes the laboratory-based findings of three travel-related cases of arbovirus infections in Uganda. These include a patient from Bangladesh with chikungunya virus infection and two cases of dengue fever from Ethiopia. Early detection of travel-imported cases by public health laboratories is important to reduce the risk of localized outbreaks of arboviruses such as dengue virus and chikungunya virus. Because of the global public health importance and the continued risk of (re-) emerging arbovirus infections, specific recommendations following diagnosis by clinicians should include obtaining travel histories from persons with arbovirus-compatible illness and include differential diagnoses when appropriate.

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A Simple PCR Assay for Discrimination of Dengue Vectors from Nsukka LGA, Nigeria

International Annals of Science ◽

10.21467/ias.10.1.67-77 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 67-77

Author(s):

Amos Watentena ◽

Ikem Chris Okoye ◽

Ikechukwu Eugene Onah ◽

Onwude Cosmas Ogbonnaya ◽

Emmanuel Ogudu

Keyword(s):

Aedes Aegypti ◽

Aedes Albopictus ◽

Mosquito Species ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Major Public Health Problem ◽

Mosquito Vector ◽

Aedes Mosquitoes ◽

Allele Specific ◽

Arboviral Diseases ◽

Dengue Vectors

Mosquitoes of Aedes species are vectors of several arboviral diseases which continue to be a major public health problem in Nigeria. This study among other things, morphologically identified Aedes mosquitoes collected from Nsukka LGA and used an allele specific PCR amplification for discrimination of dengue vectors. Larval sampling, BG-sentinel traps and modified human landing catches were used for mosquito sampling in two selected autonomous communities of Nsukka LGA (Nsukka and Obimo). A total of 124 Aedes mosquitoes consisting of five (5) different species were collected from April to June, 2019 in a cross-sectional study that covered 126 households, under 76 distinct geographical coordinates. Larvae was mainly collected from plastic containers 73% (n=224), metallic containers 14% (n=43), earthen pots 9% (n=29) and used car tyres 3% (n=9), reared to adult stage 69.35% (n=86), and all mosquitoes were identified using standard morphological keys. Five (5) Aedes mosquito species were captured; Aedes aegypti 83(66.94%), Aedes albopictus 33(26.61%), Aedes simpsoni (4.48%), Aedes luteocephalus (≤1%) and Aedes vittatus (≤1%). Nsukka autonomous community had higher species diversity than Obimo. Allele specific amplification confirmed dengue vectors, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus species on a 2% agarose gel. Since the most recent re-emergence of arboviral diseases is closely associated with Aedes species, findings of this study, therefore, give further evidence about the presence of potential arboviral vectors in Nigeria and describe the role of a simple PCR in discriminating some. Further entomological studies should integrate PCR assays in mosquito vector surveillance.

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Chikungunya virus outbreak-a threat to global public health including Bangladesh

Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science ◽

10.3329/bjms.v17i2.35868 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 183-184 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Abdullah Al Mahdy ◽

Mostofa Jamal ◽

Hiroshi Kinoshita ◽

Tareq Hossan

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Chikungunya Virus ◽

Medical Science ◽

Global Public Health

Abstract not availableBangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.17(2) 2018 p.183-184

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The global distribution of the arbovirus vectors Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus

eLife ◽

10.7554/elife.08347 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

Cited By ~ 771

Author(s):

Moritz UG Kraemer ◽

Marianne E Sinka ◽

Kirsten A Duda ◽

Adrian QN Mylne ◽

Freya M Shearer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Aedes Aegypti ◽

Environmental Variables ◽

Disease Burden ◽

Health Planning ◽

Global Distribution ◽

Health Impacts ◽

Global Public Health ◽

Future Health ◽

Autochthonous Transmission

Dengue and chikungunya are increasing global public health concerns due to their rapid geographical spread and increasing disease burden. Knowledge of the contemporary distribution of their shared vectors, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus remains incomplete and is complicated by an ongoing range expansion fuelled by increased global trade and travel. Mapping the global distribution of these vectors and the geographical determinants of their ranges is essential for public health planning. Here we compile the largest contemporary database for both species and pair it with relevant environmental variables predicting their global distribution. We show Aedes distributions to be the widest ever recorded; now extensive in all continents, including North America and Europe. These maps will help define the spatial limits of current autochthonous transmission of dengue and chikungunya viruses. It is only with this kind of rigorous entomological baseline that we can hope to project future health impacts of these viruses.

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Wolbachia strain wAu efficiently blocks arbovirus transmission in Aedes albopictus

10.1101/844670 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Maria Vittoria Mancini ◽

Christie S. Herd ◽

Thomas H. Ant ◽

Shivan M. Murdochy ◽

Steven P. Sinkins

Keyword(s):

Aedes Aegypti ◽

Aedes Albopictus ◽

Mosquito Species ◽

Field Trials ◽

Asian Tiger Mosquito ◽

Native Strain ◽

Promising Tool ◽

Novel Approach ◽

Asian Tiger ◽

Tiger Mosquito

AbstractThe global incidence of arboviral diseases transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, including dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika, has increased dramatically in recent decades. The release of Aedes aegypti carrying the maternally inherited symbiont Wolbachia as an intervention to control arboviruses is being trialled in several countries. However, these efforts are compromised in many endemic regions due to the co-localization of the secondary vector Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito. Ae. albopictus has an expanding global distribution following incursions into a number of new territories. To date, only the wMel and wPip strains of Wolbachia have been reported to be transferred into and characterized in this vector. A Wolbachia strain naturally infecting Drosophila simulans, wAu, was selected for transfer into a Malaysian Ae. albopictus line to create a novel triple-strain infection. The newly generated line showed self-compatibility, moderate fitness cost and complete resistance to Zika and dengue infections.Author summaryAedes albopictus, the invasive Asian tiger mosquito, is responsible for numerous outbreaks of important viruses such as dengue and Zika in various regions of the world. The need for alterative control interventions propelled the development of a novel approach that exploits a natural insect symbiont, Wolbachia; when transferred into non-native hosts, these maternally-inherited bacteria are able to interfere with the transmission of mosquito-borne viruses, and also provide reproductive advantages to the host, offering a promising tool for self-sustaining field applications. Currently, several field trials are ongoing for the primary vector of dengue and several other arboviruses, Aedes aegypti, providing encouraging results. In this study, Ae. albopictus has been targeted for a similar approach: this mosquito species naturally carries two strains of Wolbachia. The artificial introduction of a third, non-native strain made this line less able to transmit dengue and Zika viruses and had an impact on its fitness.

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Unusual Presentation of Chikungunya Virus Infection With Concomintant Erysipelas in a Returning Traveler From the Caribbean: A Case Report

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofu097 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Marcos C. Schechter ◽

Kimberly A. Workowski ◽

Jessica K. Fairley

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Case Report ◽

Virus Infection ◽

Aedes Albopictus ◽

Chikungunya Virus ◽

Febrile Illness ◽

Unusual Presentation ◽

Chikungunya Fever ◽

The Caribbean ◽

Local Transmission

Abstract Chikungunya fever is a mosquito-borne febrile illness caused by Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an alphavirus from the Togaviridae family. It is transmitted by primarily Aedes aegytpi and Aedes albopictus mosquitos [1]. Once of little importance in the Americas, local transmission was identified in the Caribbean in late 2013. More than 1000 travelers returning to the continental United States have been diagnosed with CHIKV. More importantly, there have been 9 documented cases of autochthonous disease in Florida as of September 16, 2014 [2].

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