Chikungunya Infection: A Potential Re-Emerging Global Threat

Background- Arboviral diseases, such as chikungunya dengue and now zika represent a problem. Epidemiology of chikungunya and dengue is well known, including its social and climatic factors associated, but only few data and reports of chikungunya are available. The clinical differentiation of chikungunya from dengue is no doubt challenging since both diseases can share clinical signs and symptoms leading to potential misdiagnosis of chikungunya in areas where dengue is endemic resulting in delayed treatment and high morbidity. Aim & Objective- To assess seroprevalence, clinical presentations and seasonal trends of chikungunya infection in this region. Material and method- The study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Amritsar from January 2023 to December 2023. The serum samples were subjected to IgM antibody capture enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (MAC-ELISA) for detection of anti-chikungunya virus IgM antibodies. Result- Overall, 52% (241/465) clinical samples were positive by MAC-ELISA. Females were more affected than males and age group >45 years was mostly affected. Fever (100%) was the primary symptom. Maximum cases were detected in the months of August to October with peak in September month. Majority of the cases were reported from rural area (94.8%). Conclusion- In this study, seroprevalence of Chikungunya was significantly high. Though Chikungunya is a self-limiting infection, increasing morbidity by Chikungunya virus infection is affecting social and economic status of individual. Thus, a community empowerment to effectively control mosquito population by employing different mosquito control measures along with personal protection is mandatory to tackle future outbreak of the disease.