![]() ![]() The first detection of CHIKV in the world was in Tanzania in East Africa in 1952 1. The disease it causes is associated with acute fever and musculoskeletal pain that can become chronic, with debilitating rheumatic disease in a substantial portion of infected individuals. This suggests a likely new spillover from sylvatic cycles in rural Senegal and potential of seeding larger epidemics in urban settings in Senegal and elsewhere.Ĭhikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an arbovirus transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes. A novel strain of the West African genotype, phylogenetically distinct from strains circulating in previous outbreaks, was identified. We produced, in real-time, the first locally-generated and publicly available CHIKV whole genomes in West Africa, to characterize the genetic diversity of circulating strains, along with phylodynamic analysis to estimate time of emergence and population growth dynamics. CHIKV is typically maintained in a sylvatic cycle in Senegal but its evolution and factors contributing to re-emergence are so far unknown in West Africa, leaving a gap in understanding and responding to recurrent epidemics. Since July 2023, Senegal and Burkina Faso have been experiencing an ongoing outbreak, with over 300 confirmed cases detected so far in the regions of Kédougou and Tambacounda in Senegal, the largest recorded outbreak yet. Chikungunya (CHIKV) is a re-emerging endemic arbovirus in West Africa. ![]()
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