The chikungunya virus is an arbovirus in the genus Alphavirus in the Togaviridae family. It is spread by Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus, both day-biting mosquitoes. Humans are the reservoir host. Transmission to mosquitoes is greatest in the first week of infection when the patient has high viremia.
Cases have been reported from mother to child when the mother is viremic during pregnancy. In-utero transmission may result in miscarriage or infection at birth. No cases of transmission from breast milk have been reported. So far no cases of transmission through blood transfusion have been seen, but some laboratory-acquired cases have occurred.
19. Chikungunya life cycle.
20. CDC. Image #17550. This digitally colorized transmission electron microscopic (TEM) image depicts numerous Chikungunya virus particles, which are composed of a central dense core that is surrounded by a viral envelope. Each virion is approximately 50nm in diameter. 2014. Accessed October 25, 2022. https://phil.cdc.gov/Details.aspx?pid=17550
