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Viruses May 2022Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus that recently re-emerged in many parts of the world causing large-scale outbreaks. CHIKV infection presents as a... (Review)
Review
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus that recently re-emerged in many parts of the world causing large-scale outbreaks. CHIKV infection presents as a febrile illness known as chikungunya fever (CHIKF). Infection is self-limited and characterized mainly by severe joint pain and myalgia that can last for weeks or months; however, severe disease presentation can also occur in a minor proportion of infections. Among the atypical CHIKV manifestations that have been described, severe arthralgia and neurological complications, such as encephalitis, meningitis, and Guillain-Barré Syndrome, are now reported in many outbreaks. Moreover, death cases were also reported, placing CHIKV as a relevant public health disease. Virus evolution, globalization, and climate change may have contributed to CHIKV spread. In addition to this, the lack of preventive vaccines and approved antiviral treatments is turning CHIKV into a major global health threat. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge about CHIKV pathogenesis, with a focus on atypical disease manifestations, such as persistent arthralgia and neurologic disease presentation. We also bring an up-to-date review of the current CHIKV vaccine development. Altogether, these topics highlight some of the most recent advances in our understanding of CHIKV pathogenesis and also provide important insights into the current development and clinical trials of CHIKV potential vaccine candidates.
Topics: Arthralgia; Chikungunya Fever; Chikungunya virus; Humans; Vaccine Development; Viral Vaccines
PubMed: 35632709
DOI: 10.3390/v14050969 -
The Lancet. Infectious Diseases Apr 2017Re-emergence of chikungunya virus, a mosquito-transmitted pathogen, is of serious public health concern. In the past 15 years, after decades of infrequent, sporadic... (Review)
Review
Re-emergence of chikungunya virus, a mosquito-transmitted pathogen, is of serious public health concern. In the past 15 years, after decades of infrequent, sporadic outbreaks, the virus has caused major epidemic outbreaks in Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, and more recently the Caribbean and the Americas. Chikungunya virus is mainly transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in tropical and subtropical regions, but the potential exists for further spread because of genetic adaptation of the virus to Aedes albopictus, a species that thrives in temperate regions. Chikungunya virus represents a substantial health burden to affected populations, with symptoms that include severe joint and muscle pain, rashes, and fever, as well as prolonged periods of disability in some patients. The inflammatory response coincides with raised levels of immune mediators and infiltration of immune cells into infected joints and surrounding tissues. Animal models have provided insights into disease pathology and immune responses. Although host innate and adaptive responses have a role in viral clearance and protection, they can also contribute to virus-induced immune pathology. Understanding the mechanisms of host immune responses is essential for the development of treatments and vaccines. Inhibitory compounds targeting key inflammatory pathways, as well as attenuated virus vaccines, have shown some success in animal models, including an attenuated vaccine strain based on an isolate from La Reunion incorporating an internal ribosome entry sequence that prevents the virus from infecting mosquitoes and a vaccine based on virus-like particles expressing envelope proteins. However, immune correlates of protection, as well as the safety of prophylactic and therapeutic candidates, are important to consider for their application in chikungunya infections. In this Review, we provide an update on chikungunya virus with regard to its epidemiology, molecular virology, virus-host interactions, immunological responses, animal models, and potential antiviral therapies and vaccines.
Topics: Aedes; Animals; Chikungunya Fever; Chikungunya virus; Communicable Diseases, Emerging; Disease Outbreaks; Global Health; Humans; Insect Vectors; Models, Animal
PubMed: 28159534
DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(16)30385-1 -
The Journal of Clinical Investigation Mar 2017Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), a reemerging arbovirus, causes a crippling musculoskeletal inflammatory disease in humans characterized by fever, polyarthralgia, myalgia,... (Review)
Review
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), a reemerging arbovirus, causes a crippling musculoskeletal inflammatory disease in humans characterized by fever, polyarthralgia, myalgia, rash, and headache. CHIKV is transmitted by Aedes species of mosquitoes and is capable of an epidemic, urban transmission cycle with high rates of infection. Since 2004, CHIKV has spread to new areas, causing disease on a global scale, and the potential for CHIKV epidemics remains high. Although CHIKV has caused millions of cases of disease and significant economic burden in affected areas, no licensed vaccines or antiviral therapies are available. In this Review, we describe CHIKV epidemiology, replication cycle, pathogenesis and host immune responses, and prospects for effective vaccines and highlight important questions for future research.
Topics: Aedes; Animals; Chikungunya Fever; Chikungunya virus; Humans; Virus Replication
PubMed: 28248203
DOI: 10.1172/JCI84417 -
Journal of Biomedical Science Dec 2021Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a re-emerging mosquito-borne human pathogen that causes chikungunya fever, which is typically accompanied by severe joint pain. In Asia,... (Review)
Review
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a re-emerging mosquito-borne human pathogen that causes chikungunya fever, which is typically accompanied by severe joint pain. In Asia, serological evidence indicated that CHIKV first emerged in 1954. From the 1950's to 2005, sporadic CHIKV infections were attributed to the Asian genotype. However, the massive outbreak of CHIKV in India and the Southwest Indian Ocean Islands in 2005 has since raised chikungunya as a worldwide public health concern. The virus is spreading globally, but mostly in tropical and subtropical regions, particularly in South and Southeast Asia. The emergence of the CHIKV East/Central/South African genotype-Indian Ocean lineage (ECSA-IOL) has caused large outbreaks in South and Southeast Asia affected more than a million people over a decade. Notably, the massive CHIKV outbreaks before 2016 and the more recent outbreak in Asia were driven by distinct ECSA lineages. The first significant CHIKV ECSA strains harbored the Aedes albopictus-adaptive mutation E1: A226V. More recently, another mass CHIKV ECSA outbreak in Asia started in India and spread beyond South and Southeast Asia to Kenya and Italy. This virus lacked the E1: A226V mutation but instead harbored two novel mutations (E1: K211E and E2: V264A) in an E1: 226A background, which enhanced its fitness in Aedes aegypti. The emergence of a novel ECSA strain may lead to a more widespread geographical distribution of CHIKV in the future. This review summarizes the current CHIKV situation in Asian countries and provides a general overview of the molecular virology, disease manifestation, diagnosis, prevalence, genotype distribution, evolutionary relationships, and epidemiology of CHIKV infection in Asian countries over the past 65 years. This knowledge is essential in guiding the epidemiological study, control, prevention of future CHIKV outbreaks, and the development of new vaccines and antivirals targeting CHIKV.
Topics: Asia; Chikungunya Fever; Chikungunya virus; Evolution, Molecular; Genotype; Humans
PubMed: 34857000
DOI: 10.1186/s12929-021-00778-8 -
The New Microbiologica Jul 2013Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-transmitted alphavirus belonging to the Togaviridae family, first isolated in Tanzania in 1952. The main vectors are mosquitoes... (Review)
Review
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-transmitted alphavirus belonging to the Togaviridae family, first isolated in Tanzania in 1952. The main vectors are mosquitoes from the Aedes species. Recently, the establishment of an envelope mutation increased infectivity for A. albopictus. CHIKV has recently re-emerged causing millions of infections in countries around the Indian Ocean characterized by climate conditions favourable to high vector density. Importation of human cases to European regions with high density of suitable arthropod vectors (such as A. albopictus) may trigger autochthonous outbreaks. The clinical signs of CHIKV infection include non-specific flu-like symptoms, and a characteristic rash accompanied by joint pain that may last for a long time after the resolution of the infection. The death rate is not particularly high, but excess mortality has been observed in concomitance with large CHIKV outbreaks. Deregulation of innate defense mechanisms, such as cytokine inflammatory response, may participate in the main clinical signs of CHIKV infection, and the establishment of persistent (chronic) disease. There is no specific therapy, and prevention is the main countermeasure. Prevention is based on insect control and in avoiding mosquito bites in endemic countries. Diagnosis is based on the detection of virus by molecular methods or by virus culture on the first days of infection, and by detection of an immune response in later stages. CHIKV infection must be suspected in patients with compatible clinical symptoms returning from epidemic/endemic areas. Differential diagnosis should take into account the cross-reactivity with other viruses from the same antigenic complex (i.e. O'nyong-nyong virus).
Topics: Aedes; Africa; Alphavirus Infections; Animals; Asia; Australia; Chikungunya Fever; Chikungunya virus; Diagnosis, Differential; Disease Reservoirs; Europe; Genotype; Geography; Humans; Insect Vectors; Phylogeny
PubMed: 23912863
DOI: No ID Found -
Viruses Aug 2019Alphaviruses belong to a family of positive sense, single-stranded RNA viruses that are transmitted mainly by mosquitoes through a blood meal and cause arthritis and/or...
Alphaviruses belong to a family of positive sense, single-stranded RNA viruses that are transmitted mainly by mosquitoes through a blood meal and cause arthritis and/or encephalitis in humans and animals [...].
Topics: Animals; Arthritis; Chikungunya Fever; Chikungunya virus; Communicable Diseases, Emerging; Disease Outbreaks; Encephalitis; Humans; Mosquito Vectors
PubMed: 31450552
DOI: 10.3390/v11090779 -
Viruses Aug 2023Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an alphavirus transmitted by mosquitoes, has experienced a recent re-emergence in various regions of the world, leading to large-scale...
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an alphavirus transmitted by mosquitoes, has experienced a recent re-emergence in various regions of the world, leading to large-scale outbreaks [...].
Topics: Animals; Chikungunya virus; Culicidae; Disease Outbreaks
PubMed: 37632110
DOI: 10.3390/v15081768 -
Viruses Feb 2019Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a re-emerging mosquito-borne virus that displays a large cell and organ tropism, and causes a broad range of clinical symptoms in humans. It... (Review)
Review
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a re-emerging mosquito-borne virus that displays a large cell and organ tropism, and causes a broad range of clinical symptoms in humans. It is maintained in nature through both urban and sylvatic cycles, involving mosquito vectors and human or vertebrate animal hosts. Although CHIKV was first isolated in 1953, its pathogenesis was only more extensively studied after its re-emergence in 2004. The unexpected spread of CHIKV to novel tropical and non-tropical areas, in some instances driven by newly competent vectors, evidenced the vulnerability of new territories to this infectious agent and its associated diseases. The comprehension of the exact CHIKV target cells and organs, mechanisms of pathogenesis, and spectrum of both competitive vectors and animal hosts is pivotal for the design of effective therapeutic strategies, vector control measures, and eradication actions.
Topics: Aedes; Animals; Chikungunya Fever; Chikungunya virus; Disease Vectors; Host Microbial Interactions; Humans; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; Mice; Mosquito Vectors; Viral Tropism
PubMed: 30791607
DOI: 10.3390/v11020175 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2023Chikungunya fever (CHIKF) has spread to more than 100 countries worldwide, with frequent outbreaks in Europe and the Americas in recent years. Despite the relatively low...
Chikungunya fever (CHIKF) has spread to more than 100 countries worldwide, with frequent outbreaks in Europe and the Americas in recent years. Despite the relatively low lethality of infection, patients can suffer from long-term sequelae. Until now, no available vaccines have been approved for use; however, increasing attention is being paid to the development of vaccines against chikungunya virus (CHIKV), and the World Health Organization has included vaccine development in the initial blueprint deliverables. Here, we developed an mRNA vaccine using the nucleotide sequence encoding structural proteins of CHIKV. And immunogenicity was evaluated by neutralization assay, Enzyme-linked immunospot assay and Intracellular cytokine staining. The results showed that the encoded proteins elicited high levels of neutralizing antibody titers and T cell-mediated cellular immune responses in mice. Moreover, compared with the wild-type vaccine, the codon-optimized vaccine elicited robust CD8 T-cell responses and mild neutralizing antibody titers. In addition, higher levels of neutralizing antibody titers and T-cell immune responses were obtained using a homologous booster mRNA vaccine regimen of three different homologous or heterologous booster immunization strategies. Thus, this study provides assessment data to develop vaccine candidates and explore the effectiveness of the prime-boost approach.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Chikungunya virus; Viral Vaccines; Antibodies, Viral; Chikungunya Fever; Antibodies, Neutralizing
PubMed: 37006310
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1129118 -
Current Opinion in Virology Feb 2016Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) causes severe, debilitating, often chronic arthralgia with high attack rates, resulting in severe morbidity and economic costs to affected... (Review)
Review
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) causes severe, debilitating, often chronic arthralgia with high attack rates, resulting in severe morbidity and economic costs to affected communities. Since its first well-documented emergence in Asia in the 1950s, CHIKV has infected millions and, since 2007, has spread widely, probably via viremic travelers, to initiate urban transmission in Europe, the South Pacific, and the Americas. Some spread has been facilitated by adaptive envelope glycoprotein substitutions that enhance transmission by the new vector, Aedes albopictus. Although epistatic constraints may prevent the impact of these mutations in Asian strains now circulating in the Americas, as well as in African CHIKV strains imported into Brazil last year, these constraints could eventually be overcome over time to increase the transmission by A. albopictus in rural and temperate regions. Another major determinant of CHIKV endemic stability in the Americas will be its ability to spill back into an enzootic cycle involving sylvatic vectors and nonhuman primates, an opportunity exploited by yellow fever virus but apparently not by dengue viruses.
Topics: Aedes; Animals; Chikungunya Fever; Chikungunya virus; Communicable Diseases, Emerging; Evolution, Molecular; Humans; Insect Vectors; Phylogeny; Zoonoses
PubMed: 26986235
DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2016.02.007