Appearance of E1: A226V mutant Chikungunya virus in Coastal Karnataka, India during 2008 outbreak

• Published in: Virology journal Vol. 6; no. 1; p. 172
• Main Authors: Santhosh, S R, Dash, Paban Kumar, Parida, Manmohan, Khan, Mohasin, Rao, Putcha V L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 27.10.2009; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Aedes; Alphavirus Infections - epidemiology; Alphavirus Infections - virology; Amino Acid Sequence; Amino Acid Substitution - genetics; Animals; Causes of; Chikungunya fever; Chikungunya virus; Chikungunya virus - genetics; Chikungunya virus - isolation & purification; Cluster Analysis; Demographic aspects; Disease Outbreaks; Disease Vectors; Gene mutations; Genetic aspects; Health aspects; Humans; India - epidemiology; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutation, Missense; Phylogeny; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Viral - genetics; Sequence Alignment; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Study Protocol; Viral Proteins - genetics; India
• ISSN: 1743-422X; 1743-422X
• DOI: 10.1186/1743-422X-6-172

Chikungunya has resurged in the form of unprecedented explosive epidemic in 2006 after a long gap in India affecting 1.39 million of persons. The disease continued for the next two consecutive years affecting 59,535 and 64,548 persons during 2007 and 2008 respectively. The 2008 outbreak being the second largest among these three years the information regarding the etiology and the mutations involved are useful for further control measures. Among the 2008 outbreaks the Coastal Karnataka accounts for the 46,510 persons. An in-depth investigation of Chikungunya epidemic of Coastal Karnataka, India, 2008 by serology, virus isolation, RT-PCR and genome sequencing revealed the presence and continued circulation of A226V mutant Chikungunya virus. The appearance of this mutant virus was found to be associated with higher prevalence of vector Aedes albopictus and the geographical proximity of coastal Karnataka with the adjoining Kerala state. This is the first report regarding the appearance of this mutation in Karnataka state of India. The present study identified the presence and association of A226V mutant virus with Chikungunya outbreak in India during 2008.