Chikungunya virus is more widely distributed now than it was expected previously but the data available for some countries is not enough to show the status of this country regarding the virus transmission.
Disease outbreaks
Chikungunya occurs in Africa, Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Human infections in Africa have been at relatively low levels for a number of years, but in 1999-2000 there was a large outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in 2007 there was an outbreak in Gabon.
Starting in February 2005, a major outbreak of chikungunya occurred in islands of the Indian Ocean. A large number of imported cases in Europe were associated with this outbreak, mostly in 2006 when the Indian Ocean epidemic was at its peak. A large outbreak of chikungunya in India occurred in 2006 and 2007. Several other countries in South-East Asia were also affected. Since 2005, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Maldives and Myanmar have reported over 1.9 million cases. In 2007 transmission was reported for the first time in Europe, in a localized outbreak in north-eastern Italy. There were 197 cases recorded during this outbreak and it confirmed that mosquito-borne outbreaks by Ae. Albopictus are plausible in Europe.
In December 2013, France reported 2 laboratory-confirmed autochthonous (native) cases of chikungunya in the French part of the Caribbean island of St Martin. Since then, local transmission has been confirmed in the Dutch part of Saint Martin [St Maarten], Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and St Barthelemy. Aruba only reported imported cases. Cuba reported 3 cases in 2014.
This is the first documented outbreak of chikungunya with autochthonous transmission in the Americas. As of 6 March 2014, there have been over 8 000 suspected cases in the region.
Thanks Jorge for the information. But, let me ask you one more question. If i need a data set with cases and location/case. Where i can get it? i am very interested to study some questions related to the environmental risk factors associated with the disease transmission. It will be great if we can collaborate for that.
Chikungunya in Africa is a major public health problem despite the diminished attention given to it. This is majorly due to misdiagnosis with common endemic infections like malaria due to shared symptoms, lack of an effective surveillance system, limited diagnostic infrastructure and reduced scientific focus. However the disease burden in Africa remains underestimated. Co-circulation with the closely related Onyong nyong virus could have an implication in the clinical phenotype and geographical distribution patterns that are yet to be demonstrated. This is an important re-emerging arbovirus whose biology needs to be unravelled quickly to save the public from the high morbidity challenges being experienced.
Please take a look at this useful RG link.
Article Urban Chikungunya in the Middle East and North Africa: A sys...
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