Chikungunya: Epidemiology, Transmission and Therapeutics

Chikungunya (CHIKV) is a viral infection spread by mosquitoes that can cause symptoms such as fever, joint pain, muscle pain, headache, fatigue, and rash, which can become severe. While symptoms generally subside within a week or two, the disease nonetheless imposes a burden on societies around the world and carries a death risk of 1 in 1,000 infections. Chapter One details the history and evolution of the virus, including its epidemiology and extensive spread, and discusses disease prevention and vector control measures. Chapter Two describes the geographical distribution, transmission, and alternative hosts of Chikungunya. Chapter Three provides an insight into the different immunotherapy and immunoprophylaxis strategies that have demonstrated promising results so far for the treatment of this disease. Lastly, Chapter Four provides an overview of the potential therapeutics that have been proposed and developed for CHIKV.