Is chikungunya an alpha virus?

Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease first described during an outbreak in southern Tanzania in 1952. It is an RNA virus that belongs to the alphavirus genus of the family Togaviridae.

What is the classification of chikungunya virus?

Chikungunya is classified as an alphavirus belonging to the Togaviridae family. The virus has a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA genome surrounded by a lipid envelope.

Is chikungunya a flavivirus?

Introduction. Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) are arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) transmitted by mosquitoes. Based on the most current taxonomy of viruses, CHIKV and ZIKV belong to the Togaviridae family and the Flaviviridae family, respectively.

What is genetic material of chikungunya virus?

The single stranded, positive sense RNA genome of CHIKV is about 11.7 kb and encodes 2 open reading frames (ORF), flanked by 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions.

How many types of chikungunya are there?

This virus was first reported in the Americas in 2014. Phylogenetic investigations have shown that there are two strains in Brazil – the Asian and East/Central/South African types – and that the Asian strain arrived in the Caribbean (most likely from Oceania) in about March 2013.

What is vector of chikungunya?

Chikungunya virus is primarily transmitted to people through the bite of an infected mosquito, mainly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.

What causes Flavivirus?

Species of Flaviviridae are transmitted by either insects or arachnids and cause severe diseases such as yellow fever, dengue, tick-borne encephalitis, and Japanese B encephalitis.

What is the vector for chikungunya?

Who discovered chikungunya virus?

The disease was first identified in Tanzania in 1952 by RW Ross. After its discovery, outbreaks of chikungunya typically occurred in Asia and Africa. However, in 2004, the CHIKV reached India and several islands in the Indian Ocean, causing major outbreaks that affected more than 1 million people [3].

Which medicine is best for chikungunya?

There are no specific drugs to treat chikungunya; doctors simply recommend rest and plenty of fluids. Over-the-counter medications will help ease fever and joint pain….These include:

  • naproxen.
  • ibuprofen.
  • acetaminophen.

Where is chikungunya virus found?

Chikungunya fever is endemic in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Pacific Region and most probably in the (sub) tropical regions of the Americas. Chikungunya fever has caused numerous epidemics in Africa and Asia.