Emergence of ECSA-IOL E1-K211E/E2-V264A Lineage of Chikungunya virus during Malaysian 2021 outbreak

Chikungunya cases was reported to be on the rise in Malaysia from 2019 to 2021. Although potential endemicity was described previously, genotype shift during 2008 outbreak originating from the 2004 Indian Ocean Islands outbreak presents the probability of current CHIKV spread from neighboring countries. This is due to the prevalence of the new IOL sub-lineage which consists of E1-226A wildtype or reverted strains that are circulating in the Indian subcontinent before spreading to neighboring Thailand during 2018-2019 outbreak.

In this study, samples received mostly from the Tangkak, Johor were analyzed. A total 56 CHIKV positive serum samples received in 2021 by Institute of Medical Research Malaysia (IMR), were collected based on sample selection criteria. Selected samples were subjected to total RNA extraction, whole-genome sequencing as well as bioinformatic analysis such as phylogenetic, variant and mutation analysis.

Based on the genomic and phylogenetic analysis, the CHIKV samples from 2021 outbreak were of ECSA-IOL genotype. Genome similarity analysis also revealed that these CHIKVs were highly similar to 2018-2019 outbreak strain from Thailand. In comparison to the 2008 outbreak CHIKV isolate, the current CHIKVs lacked the E1-A226V mutation and harbored the new E1-K211E/E2-V264A sub-linage mutation. Since the E1-K211E/E2-V264A mutation facilitates adaptation to Ae. aegypti as opposed to the E1-A226V mutation which improves adaptation to Ae. albopictus, the emergence 2021 CHIKV outbreak in Malaysia can be postulated due to vector shift. Interestingly, a novel nsP3-T441A/V mutation detected in this study, may also play a role in virus transmission, pathogenicity, fitness and vector adaptation.

In summary, the current CHIKV outbreak are strains originated from the Indian subcontinent through Thailand which may have capitalized on vector shifting by adapting to Ae. aegypti. The presence of novel nsP3-T441A/V mutation may also contribute to the spread of this virus across peninsular Malaysia.