The Open Infectious Diseases Journal
2015, 9 : 13-19Published online 2015 May 15. DOI: 10.2174/1874279301509010013
Publisher ID: TOIDJ-9-13
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Chikungunya Fever: A New Concern For the Western Hemisphere
2 Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
3 University Hospital of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies
4 Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ont, Canada
* Address correspondence to this author at the New York Medical College, School of Health Sciences and Practice, Department of Epidemiology and Community Health, 30 Hospital Oval Road, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA.Tel: 914-594-3075; Fax: 914-594-4853; E-mail: jennifer_calder@nymc.edu
ABSTRACT
Chikungunya virus has spread from Tanzania and has caused autochthonous transmission throughout Africa and Asia, and most recently in Europe, and the Americas. Transmission into new geographical areas has been facilitated by many factors including international travel, genetic adaptation of the virus to the vectors, and a breakdown of vector control measures. The economic impact on affected countries may be severe as a result of the immediate effect on the healthcare services and loss of man-hours as well as the potential effect on tourism. Effective control will require early diagnosis and isolation of viremic persons as well as enhanced environmental measures. To stop transmission in the region will require a regional effort that involves public education and an interdisciplinary One Health approach.