SEROPREVALENCE OF CHICKUNGUNYA IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Objective: Chickungunya is a mosquito borne, arboviral disease, causing abrupt onset of fever and severe arthralgia. It is transmitted by vector Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. It has been an increasingly important health threat. The aim of the present study was to estimate the seroprevalence and magnitude of chickungunya in febrile cases in a tertiary care hospital Visakhapatnam. Methods: A prospective study was conducted for a period of 2 y, from January 2022 to December 2023 from cases admitted for high fever, maculopapular rash, and severe joint pains. A total of 1044 blood samples were received for testing of chikunugunya IgM antibodies by ELISA in the Virology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology. Results: 11.2% were seropositive for chikungunya IgM. Most affected gender and age group in the study were female [59%] and 26 to 30 y [30.1%]. Maximum cases in this study were recorded in the months of June 2022 [33.3%] and July 2023 [22.4%]. Conclusion: Continuous monitoring of fever cases will allow detection of chickungunya fever outbreaks and enables to establish effective preventive measures. Since there is no definitive treatment available, identifying ways to abolish mosquito population would be the most useful strategy to control the disease.