Global geotemporal distribution of chikungunya disease, 2011–2022

• Published in: Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease
• Main Authors: John D. Grabenstein, Aditya Singh Tomar
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2023
• Subjects: Epidemiology; Spatial representation; Arbovirus; Medical geography; Mosquito; Aedes; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2023.102603; https://doaj.org/article/4a2a92e7bd1b4b058745ed71ac358178

Background: Chikungunya virus is a mosquito-borne alphavirus, transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. Humans serve as the primary reservoir. Chikungunya infections typically appear with an abrupt onset of fever, rash, and severe joint pain. Some 40% of cases develop chronic rheumatologic complications that can persist months to years. Objectives: To improve precision of risk characterization by analyzing cases of chikungunya by year and by country and depicting this geotemporal distribution in map form. Method: Chikungunya case counts by year were compiled from national or regional health authorities from 2011 to 2022. These data were augmented by published reviews plus the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED). Country-level distribution was categorized into four groups based on recency and magnitude. Data for India were mapped on a per-state basis. Results: The global map depicts distribution of chikungunya disease from 2011 through 2022. Most cases are reported in tropical and subtropical areas, but notable exceptions include the northern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Countries of high recency and frequency include India, Brazil, Sudan, and Thailand. Countries with high frequency, but few cases reported in 2019–22 include many Latin American and Caribbean countries. Subnational foci are discussed in general and mapped for India. The range of Aedes mosquitoes is broader than the geography where chikungunya infection is typically diagnosed. Conclusions: These maps help identify geographical regions where residents or travelers are at greatest risk of chikungunya. Once vaccines are licensed to help prevent chikungunya, maps like these can help guide future vaccine decision-making.