Emerging Microbes & Infections

Chikungunya Virus: Advances in Understanding a Re-emerging Arboviral Threat

Since its first documented outbreak in Tanzania in 1952, Chikungunya virus has undergone dramatic geographic expansion, with 119 countries and territories reporting local transmission as of 2024. According to the Pan American Health Organization, 431,223 confirmed cases with 243 deaths were reported in 2024. In the first 9 months of 2025, 445,271 suspected and confirmed Chikungunya infected cases and 155 deaths had been reported globally across 40 countries. What’s more, recent modeling indicates that approximately 15% of global land area is climatically suitable for Chikungunya transmission, placing an estimated 6.78 billion people at risk.

The public health importance of Chikungunya extends far beyond acute febrile illness, and while mortality is relatively low, the disease imposes substantial long-term morbidity through persistent arthralgia and chronic arthritis, sometimes lasting years. This chronic disease burden creates significant economic impacts through healthcare costs and lost productivity. Furthermore, Chikungunya poses particular risks to vulnerable populations, with older adults, infants, young children, pregnant women, and individuals with comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease being at increased risk of severe disease and prolonged recovery.

The expansion of Aedes mosquito ranges due to climate change, urbanization, and global travel has created conditions favorable for Chikungunya virus introduction into previously unaffected temperate regions. As such, strengthening surveillance, control and improving public health preparedness are essential to mitigate the risk of further transmission.

To help address the challenges posed by this emerging threat, and to aid in the discoverability of research, Emerging Microbes and Infections is welcoming submissions to an Article Collection focused exclusively on Chikungunya virus.  Potential topics of this Article Collection include but are not limited to:

• Epidemiology and transmission dynamics
• Pathogenesis and immunology
• Clinical manifestations and management
• Vector biology and control
• Vaccines and therapeutics
• Public health and implementation science

Keywords

• Chikungunya virus
• Arbovirus
• Aedes mosquitoes
• Viral arthralgia
• Vaccine
• Epidemiology

­­All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo a full peer-review; the Guest Advisor for this Collection will not be handling the manuscripts (unless they are an Editorial Board member).

Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript.

The collection will remain open for submissions through 2026, with new papers added once they are published online.

Please contact Zhiyuan Zhang at [email protected] with any queries and discount codes regarding this Article Collection.

Please be sure to select the appropriate Article Collection from the drop-down menu in the submission system.