Study Shows Fatality Risk From Chikungunya Persists For Over Three Months Post Infection

A study released in the Journal of Lancet Infectious Diseases has revealed that individuals infected with the chikungunya virus are at an elevated risk of death for up to three months after infection. Chikungunya is a viral infection that spreads via mosquitoes to humans. The infection transmits through Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes that are known as yellow fever and tiger mosquitoes, correspondingly. Although the majority of patients recuperate completely, chikungunya infection can be fatal at times. Even though most chikungunya infections are unreported, around 5 lakh incidents and more than 400 fatalities were reported across the world in 2023. The authors of the study say that with the rise in the number of chikungunya cases, it is essential for healthcare services to weigh the risk linked to chikungunya that lingers on even after the severe phase of infection is over.

Around 1.5 lakh confirmed cases of chikungunya infection have been examined in the study. Experts say that the duration of severe chikungunya infection lasts for 14 days post-symptom onset. The study found that patients were at an elevated risk of mortality through cardiovascular issues like metabolic and kidney diseases and ischemic heart disease irrespective of age group and sex. In the first week, chikungunya patients were at eight times increased risk of death as compared to healthy people. Individuals infected with chikungunya were found to be at two times higher risk of death due to disease complications three months after infection.

Experts note that Aedes-borne infections tend to shoot up in frequency and sites due to industrialization, climate change, and increased human mobility. Chikungunya infection is now known as a rising threat to public health. At present, no specific treatment is available for preventing or curing the infection. However, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the world’s first chikungunya shot. The authors of the study say that there is an urgent need for strengthening measures to contain the transmission of chikungunya virus-carrying mosquitoes.