CHIKUNGUNYA VACCINE

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Context

• A live chikungunya vaccine was found to be "highly protective" in the Phase III human trial. A new clinical study showed promising results after the shot was tested on humans for the first time.

Chikungunya fever

About

• Chikungunya Fever is an illness caused by a virus spread by mosquitoes.
• It is caused by the chikungunya virus (CHIKV).
• The name means "bends you up" or "stooped walk" because the infection causes severe joint and muscle pain.
• The disease was first described during an outbreak in southern Tanzania in 1952.

Symptoms

• Symptoms include sudden high fever, headache, fatigue, rash, nausea and red eyes.
• Symptoms of chikungunya often appear within 2 to 7 days after a bite from an infected mosquito.
• The first sign of chikungunya will typically be a fever, followed by a rash. 
• After the bite of an infected mosquito, onset of illness usually occurs 4 to 8 days later (but the range can be 2 to 12 days).
• Symptoms include:

• • Sudden onset of high fever (typically above 102 degrees F)
  • Joint pains
  • Headache
  • Myalgia
  • Conjunctivitis
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Rash

The recent Vaccine

• The live-attenuated vaccine, VLA1553, is based on the La Reunion strain of chikungunya, which is of the East Central South African genotype.
• This could be the first chikungunya virus vaccine candidate for active immunization of travellers to and residents of endemic areas or areas at risk for an upcoming outbreak.