Serological correlates of immune protection conferred by Chikungunya virus infection

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an Alphavirus of the family Togaviridae is a positive strand RNA virus that is transmitted commonly by the Aedes mosquitoes. The characteristic clinical symptom of the virus infection is incapacitating arthralgia that could persist for few weeks to several months in the affected individuals (1, 2). High morbidity with severe polyarthralgia, rashes and ocular, hemorrhagic and sensorineural complications are reported in the re-emerging infection (3-5). The acquisition of an A226V mutation in the envelope protein E1 has increased the transmissibility of the virus in the widely prevalent Ae. Albopictus mosquitoes (6). CHIKV infection has become more widespread in the recent years as the mosquito vectors have expanded into new areas. Imported cases of CHIKV have been reported in nearly 40 countries until now (7).