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Background
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne RNA virus from the Togaviridae family, primarily transmitted to humans by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. First identified during an outbreak in Tanzania in 1952, CHIKV is now globally distributed, with significant outbreaks in Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Europe. Chikungunya fever, the disease caused by CHIKV, is characterized by sudden onset of fever, severe joint pain, muscle aches, rash, and headache. While the disease is rarely fatal, joint pain can persist for months or even years in some cases, severely affecting the quality of life for those affected.
The virus's ability to spread rapidly in areas where its mosquito vectors are present has led to recurring outbreaks in tropical and subtropical regions. There is no specific antiviral treatment or licensed vaccine for chikungunya, so public health efforts focus on vector control, personal protective measures, and early detection to reduce the spread of the virus and mitigate outbreaks.
Research is ongoing to develop vaccines and therapeutics, as well as to better understand the mechanisms behind the virus's persistent joint symptoms.
CHIKV-GLUE provides a broad foundation for comparative genomics studies of chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Its development was initiated at CERI in September 2023 and a mature version of the project was published 2 months later.