A study of the chikungunya virus in humans in Turkey

Background/aim: The chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne disease and has recently been causing explosive outbreaks. The CHIKV has spread throughout all continents. Although the first chikungunya case imported from India to Turkey was reported in 2012, there is no detailed epidemiologic study in Turkey yet. The aim of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence of the CHIKV in Turkey. Materials and methods: ELISA was used to screen 500 random serum samples of healthy people collected from Kırıkkale, which is located in central Anatolia in Turkey. The results were verified by indirect immunofluorescence test (IIFT). Results: The results showed that 0.4% samples were positive for CHIKV. In the verification study with IIFT, CHIKV IgG type antibodies were defined as negative. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first serological study on the CHIKV in Turkey. Conclusion: Further studies are needed to elucidate the epidemiological situation in patients that have fever and arthritis.