At a time of global warming and increasing human mobility, some infectious diseases that were once confined to specific regions are gradually breaking through the geographical limitations, posing new challenges to public health security. Chikungunya fever is one of them that should not be ignored. It is caused by the Chikungunya virus, which is mainly transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. In recent years, it has shown a trend of epidemic outbreaks in many regions of the world. It has become an important public health problem that threatens human health. In the face of this serious situation, our company responded quickly and developed the Chikungunya Fever Antigen and Antibody ELISA Kits with our professional R&D team and efficient technology platform, which provides timely and effective tools for the detection and research of this disease.
 

I.Chikungunya fever: a spreading global health threat

Chikungunya virus, CHIKV belongs to the genus Metavirus in the family of lentiviridae, and its genome is a single-stranded positive-stranded RNA with a total length of about 11.8 kb, encoding two types of polyprotein precursors: non-structural (nsP1-4) and structural proteins (C-E3-E2-6K-E1). The E1 and E2 glycoproteins are embedded on the surface of the viral envelope and are the key to viral entry into the host cell, as well as the core targets for the development of neutralizing antibodies, diagnostic antigens and vaccines.

• E1：Mediates fusion of viral and host cell membranes；
•  E2：Responsible for binding to the cell surface receptor Mxra8；
• C(Capsid protein)：Encapsulates RNA to form a nucleocapsid.

1.Transmission Routes and Epidemiological Characteristics

• Mother-to-child transmission: infection in pregnant women may affect the foetus through vertical transmission.
• Blood transmission: rare, but theoretically could be transmitted by blood transfusion or organ transplantation.

• Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, etc.)
• Asia (India, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, etc.)
• Americas (Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, etc.) 
• Europe (localised outbreaks in Italy, southern France, etc.)

As a result of global warming, the habitat of Aedes albopictus has expanded northward, and temperate regions, such as Europe and North America, also face potential risks. In recent years, the situation regarding Chikungunya fever prevention and control in China has been grim: a 40% increase in imported cases was reported in 2023 compared to 2022, and several indigenous outbreaks have occurred in southern provinces, such as Guangdong and Yunnan, in recent years. Monitoring shows that the distribution of Aedes albopictus has expanded northward to 33°N latitude, covering 18 provinces.