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A Multiplex Serological Assay for the Detection of Antibody Responses to Arboviruses
Published on: November 4, 2025
Chikungunya, an epidemic arbovirosis
Gilles Pialoux1, Bernard-Alex Gaüzère, Stéphane Jauréguiberry
1Hôpital Tenon, Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Paris, France. gilles.pialoux@tnn.aphp.fr
The Lancet. Infectious Diseases
|April 24, 2007
Summary
Chikungunya is a tropical arboviral disease causing fever and severe joint pain, transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. Recent large outbreaks in Réunion and India highlight its re-emergence, with causes still under investigation.
Area of Science:
- Arbovirology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Chikungunya is an arboviral disease caused by the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), a member of the Alphavirus genus.
- Transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, it causes acute illness with fever, rash, and severe arthralgia, earning its name from the Swahili phrase for
- to walk bent over
- due to debilitating joint pain.
- Historically a tropical disease with geographically restricted outbreaks, CHIKV has recently re-emerged with unprecedented incidence rates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of Chikungunya, its characteristics, transmission, and recent outbreaks.
- To discuss the potential factors contributing to the re-emergence of Chikungunya in the Indian Ocean region and the Indian subcontinent.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and synthesis of existing data on Chikungunya virus and disease.
- Analysis of outbreak data from Réunion and India.
- Discussion of potential epidemiological and virological factors.
Main Results:
- Chikungunya outbreaks have affected hundreds of thousands in Réunion (Aedes albopictus vector) and over a million in India (Aedes aegypti vector) in recent years.
- The disease is characterized by fever, rash, and severe, often incapacitating, joint pain.
- The exact reasons for the recent widespread re-emergence and high incidence rates remain unclear.
Conclusions:
- Chikungunya poses a significant public health challenge, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions.
- Factors such as increased tourism, introduction into naive populations, and viral mutations may explain its re-emergence.
- Further research is needed to understand the drivers of these outbreaks and to develop effective control strategies.
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