CHIKUNGUNYA VACCINE - SCI & TECH

CHIKUNGUNYA VACCINE - SCI & TECH

News: U.S. approves first vaccine against chikungunya virus

 

What's in the news?

●       Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States approved the world's inaugural vaccine for chikungunya.

●       This novel vaccine, named Ixchiq and developed by European vaccine manufacturer Valneva, marks a significant leap in combating the chikungunya virus (CHIKV).

 

Key Features of Ixchiq Vaccine:

  1. It is administered as a single dose via injection into the muscle. It contains a live, weakened version of the chikungunya virus, potentially causing symptoms akin to the disease in vaccine recipients.
  2. The vaccine has been approved for administration in people who are 18 years or older, and are at increased risk of exposure to the virus.

 

Chikungunya:

  1. About:
    1. Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease. It was first recognized in 1952 during an outbreak in southern Tanzania.
    2. It is a ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus that belongs to the alphavirus genus of the family Togaviridae.
  2. Symptoms:
    1. Chikungunya causes fever and severe joint pain, which is often debilitating and varies in duration.
    2. Dengue and Zika have similar symptoms to chikungunya, making chikungunya easy to misdiagnose.
  3. Transmission:
    1. Chikungunya is transmitted to humans by the bites of infected female mosquitoes.
    2. Most commonly, the mosquitoes involved are Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.
    3. These two species can also transmit other mosquito-borne viruses, including dengue.
    4. They bite throughout daylight hours, although there may be peaks of activity in the early morning and late afternoon.
  4. Prevalence: According to WHO, It is prevalent in Africa, Asia and the Americas; but sporadic outbreaks have been reported in other regions.
  5. Treatment Options: Presently, there is no cure for chikungunya, with symptomatic relief being the primary approach. Treatment involves the use of analgesics, antipyretics, rest, and adequate fluid intake.
  6. Prevention Strategies: Prevention primarily revolves around mosquito control activities, including public health outreach, civic maintenance, use of medicated mosquito nets, and eliminating water stagnation to prevent mosquito breeding.
  7. Related Indian Government Initiatives: The National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) is an umbrella programme for prevention and control of vector borne diseases (VBDs), viz., Malaria, Lymphatic Filariasis, Kala-azar, Dengue, Chikungunya and Japanese Encephalitis (JE).