Authors :
Vishnu Agrahari; Iva Katiyar; Akhilesh Kumar Dubey; Madhumala Chauhan; Devejya Shukla
Volume/Issue :
Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 3 - March
Google Scholar :
https://tinyurl.com/t9j6p7ec
Scribd :
https://tinyurl.com/3852xthv
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26mar1925
Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.
Abstract :
Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquito bites can infect people with the chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an
alphavirus that causes chikungunya, an arboviral disease. In the past two decades, the chikungunya virus has resurfaced as
a contagious illness in Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean Islands, Europe, and the Americas; 119 countries and territories have
reported locally transmitted cases of chikungunya virus disease up to 2024. The geographic distribution of chikungunya
virus disease is expanding to include a wider geographic distribution and an increased risk of introduction and subsequent
spread of the virus through mosquito vectors to an increasing population at risk of infection. Once infected through the bite
of an infected mosquito, replication of the virus leads to the onset of symptoms such as fever, severe joint pain and swelling,
myalgias, and rash as a result of the body's immune response to the infection. Most people infected with chikungunya virus
disease make a full recovery within a period of weeks; however, a small percentage of people may develop prolonged
arthralgia or chronic arthritis lasting for months or even years. While both the live-attenuated vaccine IXCHIQ and the
virus-like fragment vaccine VIMKUNYA have been approved for use, the former's license has recently been revoked due to
safety issues. Recent chikungunya fever outbreaks have led to active and continuous research into the disease, resulting in a
better and deeper understanding of the disease and its pathogenesis. In this review article, we highlight the recent advances
up to 2025 in the epidemiology, transmission, virology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and vaccines for
chikungunya virus disease.
Keywords :
Chikungunya, Vaccine Development, Transmission.
References :
- Tiozzo, G.; de Roo, A.M.; Gurgel do Amaral, G.S.; Hofstra, H.; Vondeling, G.T.; Postma, M.J. Assessing chikungunya’s economic burden and impact on health-related quality of life: Two systematic literature reviews. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis. 2025, 19, e0012990.
- Silva, L.A.; Dermody, T.S. Chikungunya virus: Epidemiology, replication, disease mechanisms, and prospective intervention strategies. J. Clin. Investig. 2017, 127, 737–749.
- Ferreira, F.C.P.A.D.M.; da Silva, A.S.V.; Recht, J.; Guaraldo, L.; Moreira, M.E.L.; de Siqueira, A.M.; Gerardin, P.; Brasil, P. Vertical transmission of chikungunya virus: A systematic review. PLoS ONE 2021, 16, e0249166.
- Silva, M.M.O.; Tauro, L.B.; Kikuti, M.; Anjos, R.O.; Santos, V.C.; Gonçalves, T.S.F.; Paploski, I.A.D.; Moreira, P.S.S.; Nascimento, L.C.J.; Campos, G.S.; et al. Concomitant Transmission of Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika Viruses in Brazil: Clinical and Epidemiological Findings From Surveillance for Acute Febrile Illness. Clin. Infect. Dis. 2019, 69, 1353–1359.
- Ribeiro Dos Santos, G.; Jawed, F.; Mukandavire, C.; Deol, A.; Scarponi, D.; Mboera, L.E.G.; Seruyange, E.; Poirier, M.J.P.; Bosomprah, S.; Udeze, A.O.; et al. Global burden of chikungunya virus infections and the potential benefit of vaccination campaigns. Nat. Med. 2025, 31, 2342–2349.
- WorldHealthOrganization. ChikungunyaVirusDisease-GlobalSituation. 2025. Availableonline: https://www.who.int/emergencies/ disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON581 (accessed on 3 October 2025).
- Powers, A.M.; Brault, A.C.; Shirako, Y.; Strauss, E.G.; Kang, W.; Strauss, J.H.; Weaver, S.C. Evolutionary relationships and systematics of the alphaviruses. J. Virol. 2001, 75, 10118–10131.
- Kril, V.; Aïqui-Reboul-Paviet, O.; Briant, L.; Amara, A. New Insights into Chikungunya Virus Infection and Pathogenesis. Annu. Rev. Virol. 2021, 8, 327–347.
- Jungfleisch, J.; Böttcher, R.; Talló-Parra, M.; Pérez-Vilaró, G.; Merits, A.; Novoa, E.M.; Díez, J. CHIKV infection reprograms codon optimality to favor viral RNA translation by altering the tRNA epitranscriptome. Nat. Commun. 2022, 13, 4725.
- Yin, H.; Yin, P.; Zhao, H.; Zhang, N.; Jian, X.; Song, S.; Gao, S.; Zhang, L. Intraviral interactome of Chikungunya virus reveals the homo-oligomerization and palmitoylation of structural protein TF. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 2019, 513, 919–924.
- Law,M.C.Y.; Zhang, K.; Tan, Y.B.; Nguyen, T.M.; Luo, D. Chikungunya virus Non-structural Protein 1 is a versatile RNA capping and decapping enzyme. J. Biol. Chem. 2023, 299, 105415.
- Bakhache, W.; Neyret, A.; Bernard, E.; Merits, A.; Briant, L. Palmitoylated cysteines in Chikungunya virus nsP1 are critical for targeting to cholesterol-rich plasma membrane microdomains with functional consequences for viral genome replication. J. Virol. 2020, 94, e02183-19.
- Ghoshal, A.; Asressu, K.H.; Hossain, M.A.; Brown, P.J.; Nandakumar, M.; Vala, A.; Merten, E.M.; Sears, J.D.; Law, I.; Burdick, J.E.; et al. Structure Activity of β-Amidomethyl Vinyl Sulfones as Covalent Inhibitors of Chikungunya nsP2 Cys teine Protease with Antialphavirus Activity. J. Med. Chem. 2024, 67, 16505–16532.
- Teppor, M.; Žusinaite, E.; Merits, A. Phosphorylation sites in the hypervariable domain in chikungunya virus nsP3 are crucial for viral replication. J. Virol. 2021, 95, e02276-20.
- Gao,Y.; Goonawardane, N.; Ward, J.; Tuplin, A.; Harris, M. Multiple roles of the non-structural protein 3 (nsP3) alphavirus unique domain (AUD) during Chikungunya virus genome replication and transcription. PLoS Pathog. 2019, 15, e1007239.
- Tan, Y.B.; Lello, L.S.; Liu, X.; Law, Y.S.; Kang, C.; Lescar, J.; Zheng, J.; Merits, A.; Luo, D. Crystal structures of alphavirus nonstructural protein 4 (nsP4) reveal an intrinsically dynamic RNA-dependent RNA polymerase fold. Nucleic Acids Res. 2022, 50, 1000–1016.
- Chen, M.W.; Tan, Y.B.; Zheng, J.; Zhao, Y.; Lim, B.T.; Cornvik, T.; Lescar, J.; Ng, L.F.P.; Luo, D. Chikungunya virus nsP4 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase core domain displays detergent-sensitive primer extension and terminal adenylyltransferase activities. Antivir. Res. 2017, 143, 38–47.
- Farrington, J.A.; Rooney, E.E.; Hardy, R.W. The role of chikungunya virus capsid-viral RNA interactions in programmed ribosomal frameshifting. J. Virol. 2025, 99, e01393-25.
- Martelossi-Cebinelli, G.; Carneiro, J.A.; Yaekashi, K.M.; Bertozzi, M.M.; Bianchini, B.H.S.; Rasquel-Oliveira, F.S.; Zanluca, C.; Duarte Dos Santos, C.N.; Arredondo, R.; Blackburn, T.A.; et al. A Review of the Biology of Chikungunya Virus Highlighting the Development of Current Novel Therapeutic and Prevention Approaches. Pathogens 2025, 14, 1047.
- Bala Murugan, S.; Sathishkumar, R. Chikungunya infection: A potential re-emerging global threat. Asian Pac. J. Trop. Med. 2016, 9, 933–937.
- Current ICTV taxonomy release | ICTV. Available from: https://ictv.global/taxonomy. Accessed August 26, 2025.
- Chen W, Foo SS, Sims NA, Herrero LJ, Walsh NC, Mahalingam S. Arthritogenic alphaviruses: new insights into arthritis and bone pathology. Trend Microbiol. 2015;23(1):35–43. doi:10.1016/j.tim. 2014.09.005
- Suhrbier A, Jaffar-Bandjee MC, Gasque P. Arthritogenic alphaviruses—an overview. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2012;8(7):420–429. doi:10.1038/ nrrheum.2012.64
- Ronca SE, Dineley KT, Paessler S. Neurological sequelae resulting from encephalitic alphavirus infection. Front Microbiol. 2016;7:959. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2016.00959
- Zaid A, Burt FJ, Liu X, et al. Arthritogenic alphaviruses: epidemiological and clinical perspective on emerging arboviruses. Lancet Infect Dis. 2021;21(5):e123–e133. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30491-6
- Diallo D, Sall AA, Buenemann M, et al. Landscape ecology of sylvatic chikungunya virus and mosquito vectors in southeastern senegal. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2012;6(6):e1649. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0001649
- Mongkol N, Wang FS, Suthisawat S, Likhit O, Charoen P, Boonnak K. Seroprevalence of Chikungunya and Zika virus in nonhuman primates: a systematic review and meta-analysis. One Health. 2022;15:100455. doi:10.1016/j.onehlt.2022.100455
- Weaver SC, Chen R, Diallo M. Chikungunya virus: role of vectors in emergence from enzootic cycles. Annu Rev Entomol. 2020;65:313–332. doi:10.1146/annurev-ento-011019-025207
- de Souza WM, Gaye A, Ndiaye EH, et al. Serosurvey of chikungunya virus in old world fruit bats, Senegal, 2020–2022. Emerg Infect Dis. 2024;30(7):1490–1492. doi:10.3201/eid3007.240055
- Weaver SC, Lecuit M. Chikungunya virus and the global spread of a mosquito-borne disease. New Engl J Med. 2015;372:1231–9. doi:10.1056/ NEJMra1406035
- de Souza WM, Weaver SC. Effects of climate change and human activities on vector-borne diseases. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2024;22(8):476–491. doi:10.1038/s41579-024-01026-0
- Hedrich N, Bekker-Nielsen Dunbar M, Grobusch MP, Schlagenhauf P. Aedes-borne arboviral human infections in Europe from 2000 to 2023: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Travel Med Infectious Dis. 2025;64:102799. doi:10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102799
- Lühken R, Brattig N, Becker N. Introduction of invasive mosquito species into Europe and prospects for arbovirus transmission and vector control in an era of globalization. Infect Dis Poverty. 2023;12(1):109. doi:10.1186/s40249-023-01167-z
- Tuñon A, García J, Carrera LC, Chaves LF, Lenhart AE, Loaiza JR. Chemical control of medically important arthropods in Panama: a systematic literature review of historical efforts. Acta Trop. 2024;255:107217. doi:10.1016/j.actatropica.2024. 107217
- Dong S, Balaraman V, Kantor AM, et al. Chikungunya virus dissemination from the midgut of Aedes aegypti is associated with temporal basal lamina degradation during bloodmeal digestion. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2017;11(9):e0005976. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0005976
- Dubrulle M, Mousson L, Moutailler S, Vazeille M, Failloux AB. Chikungunya virus and Aedes mosquitoes: saliva is infectious as soon as two days after oral infection. PLoS One. 2009;4(6):e5895. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0005895
- Vazeille M, Moutailler S, Coudrier D, et al. Two chikungunya isolates from the outbreak of La Reunion (Indian Ocean) exhibit different patterns of infection in the mosquito, Aedes albopictus. PLoS One. 2007;2(11):e1168. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0001168
- Chompoosri J, Thavara U, Tawatsin A, et al. Vertical transmission of Indian Ocean lineage of chikungunya virus in aedes aegypti and aedes albopictus mosquitoes. Parasit Vectors. 2016;9:227. doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1505-6
- Heath CJ, Grossi-Soyster EN, Ndenga BA, et al. Evidence of transovarial transmission of chikungunya and dengue viruses in field-caught mosquitoes in Kenya. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2020;14(6):e0008362. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0008362
- Mavale M, Parashar D, Sudeep A, et al. Venereal transmission of chikungunya virus by aedes aegypti mosquitoes (Diptera: culicidae). Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2010;83(6):1242–1244. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2010.09-0577
- De Souza WM, Ribeiro GS, de Lima STS, et al. Chikungunya: a decade of burden in the Americas. Lancet Reg Health Am. 2024;30:100673. doi:10.1016/j.lana.2023.100673
- Tsetsarkin KA, Chen R, Weaver SC. Interspecies transmission and chikungunya virus emergence. Curr Opin Virol. 2016;16:143–150. doi:10.1016/j.coviro.2016.02.007
- Tsetsarkin KA, Vanlandingham DL, McGee CE, Higgs S. A single mutation in chikungunya virus affects vector specificity and epidemic potential. PLoS Pathog. 2007;3(12):e201. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.0030201
- Tsetsarkin KA, Chen R, Yun R, et al. Multi-peaked adaptive landscape for chikungunya virus evolution predicts continued fitness optimization in aedes albopictus mosquitoes. Nat Commun. 2014;5:4084. doi:10.1038/ncomms5084
- Kraemer MUG, Reiner RC, Brady OJ, et al. Past and future spread of the arbovirus vectors aedes aegypti and aedes albopictus. Nat Microbiol. 2019;4(5):854–863. doi:10.1038/s41564-019-0376-y
- de Souza WM, Lecuit M, Weaver SC. Chikungunya virus and other emerging arthritogenic alphaviruses. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2025:1–17. doi:10.1038/s41579-025-01177-8
- Silva JVJ Jr, et al. Chikungunya virus: epidemiology, replication, disease mechanisms, and prospective intervention strategies.
- Sun W, et al. Chikungunya fever: pathogenesis and mechanisms underlying chronic joint pain.
- Suhrbier A, et al. Arthritogenic alphaviruses and their role in disease pathogenesis.
- Hoarau JJ, et al. Persistent chronic inflammation and infection by Chikungunya virus in synovial macrophages.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Clinical signs and symptoms of chikungunya virus disease, 2024.
- Staples JE, et al. Chikungunya fever: an epidemiological review of a re-emerging infectious disease.
- Paixão ES, et al. Chronic chikungunya syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Andrew, A., Navien, T.N., Yeoh, T.S., Citartan, M., Mangantig, E., Sum, M.S., et al., 2022. Diagnostic accuracy of serological tests for the diagnosis of Chikungunya virus infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 16 (2), e0010152.
- Burdino, E., Calleri, G., Caramello, P., Ghisetti, V., 2016. Unmet needs for a rapid diagnosis of chikungunya virus infection. Emerg. Infect. Dis 22 (10), 1837.
- Moreira, J., Brasil, P., Dittrich, S., Siqueira, AM., 2022. Mapping the global landscape of chikungunya rapid diagnostic tests: A scoping review. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 16 (7), e0010067.
- Chusri S, Vargas REM, Grandadam M, Brey PT, Soegijanto S, Mulyantno KC, et al. Detection of Chikungunya virus antigen by a novel rapid immunochromatographic test. 2015.
- Guo, M., Song, L., Liu, J., Hu, Y., Chen, Y., Fu, G., et al., 2025. Development of nanobody- based DAS-ELISA and Au nanoparticle-based immunochromatographic test strip for highly sensitive detection of Chikungunya virus. Front Immunol 16, 1707358.
- Weber, W.C., Streblow, D.N., Coffey, LL., 2024. Chikungunya Virus Vaccines: A review of IXCHIQ and PXVX0317 from pre-clinical evaluation to licensure. BioDrugs 38 (6), 727–742.
- ANON, 2026a. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves -first-vaccine-prevent-disease-caused-chikungunya-virus.
- Hills, S.L., Sutter, R.A., Miller, E.R., Asturias, E.J., Chen, L.H., Bell, B.P., et al., 2025. Surveillance for adverse events following use of live attenuated chikungunya vaccine, United States, 2024, and the associated public health response in 2024 and 2025. Euro Surveill 30 (32).
- ANON, 2026b. https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/safety-availability-bi ologics/fda-update-safety-ixchiq-chikungunya-vaccine-live.
- Richardson, J.S., Anderson, D.M., Mendy, J., Tindale, L.C., Muhammad, S., Loreth, T., et al., 2025. Chikungunya virus virus-like particle vaccine safety and immunogenicity in adolescents and adults in the USA: a phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 405 (10487), 1343–1352.
- Ribeiro Dos Santos, G., Jawed, F., Mukandavire, C., Deol, A., Scarponi, D., Mboera, L.E. G., et al., 2025. Global burden of chikungunya virus infections and the potential benefit of vaccination campaigns. Nat Med 31 (7), 2342–2349.
- Schwameis, M., Buchtele, N., Wadowski, P.P., Schoergenhofer, C., Jilma, B., 2016. Chikungunya vaccines in development. Hum Vaccin Immunother 12 (3), 716–731.
Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquito bites can infect people with the chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an
alphavirus that causes chikungunya, an arboviral disease. In the past two decades, the chikungunya virus has resurfaced as
a contagious illness in Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean Islands, Europe, and the Americas; 119 countries and territories have
reported locally transmitted cases of chikungunya virus disease up to 2024. The geographic distribution of chikungunya
virus disease is expanding to include a wider geographic distribution and an increased risk of introduction and subsequent
spread of the virus through mosquito vectors to an increasing population at risk of infection. Once infected through the bite
of an infected mosquito, replication of the virus leads to the onset of symptoms such as fever, severe joint pain and swelling,
myalgias, and rash as a result of the body's immune response to the infection. Most people infected with chikungunya virus
disease make a full recovery within a period of weeks; however, a small percentage of people may develop prolonged
arthralgia or chronic arthritis lasting for months or even years. While both the live-attenuated vaccine IXCHIQ and the
virus-like fragment vaccine VIMKUNYA have been approved for use, the former's license has recently been revoked due to
safety issues. Recent chikungunya fever outbreaks have led to active and continuous research into the disease, resulting in a
better and deeper understanding of the disease and its pathogenesis. In this review article, we highlight the recent advances
up to 2025 in the epidemiology, transmission, virology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and vaccines for
chikungunya virus disease.
Keywords :
Chikungunya, Vaccine Development, Transmission.