Chikungunya virus: Current perspectives on a reemerging virus

Clayton R. Morrison, Kenneth S. Plante, Mark T. Heise

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is believed to have originated in Africa and currently exists as three independent virus genotypes: West African, East/Central/South African (ECSA), and Asian. The first described incidence of human disease that was clearly attributable to CHIKV occurred on the Makonde Plateau of Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika) from October of 1952 until April of 1953 (1). The virus responsible for this first outbreak was isolated from the serum of a febrile patient and belonged to what was ultimately designated the ECSA genotype. While this is the first documented incidence of CHIKV, phylogenetic and retrospective analyses of clinical data suggest that the virus may have been present and causing disease much earlier. Many researchers believe that Chikungunya fever (CHIK) may have been incorrectly identified as dengue fever, due to some overlapping symptomatology, in multiple areas throughout Southeast Asia as early as the start of the 18th century (2, 3).

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationEmerging Infections 10
Publisherwiley
Pages143-161
Number of pages19
ISBN (Electronic)9781683670728
ISBN (Print)9781555819446
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2016
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Antibody therapies
  • Chikungunya virus emergence
  • Chikungunya virus infection
  • Chikungunya virus-induced joint
  • Chronic chikungunya virus disease
  • Hikungunya virus vaccines
  • Host-targeted antivirals
  • Virus-targeted antivirals

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine
  • General Immunology and Microbiology

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