Experimental chikungunya vaccine found ‘safe and well-tolerated’ in first human trial

Chikungunya is a viral infection caused by the Chikungunya virus. The virus is transmitted to humans in a similar manner as dengue fever by the Aedes mosquitoes. There are two species of the Aedes mosquitoes: albopictus and aegypti. The disease was initially found in Africa but now, it has spread to Southern Asia, Europe, Caribbean Islands as well as the Americas. The disease has become a public threat and thousands of people are affected by it. Currently, there are no vaccines to treat chikungunya. However, medications are being used throughout the world to reduce symptoms of the painful disease. Dr. Julie Ledgerwood at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, USA, says that they have developed a vaccine using non-infectious virus-like particles (VLP), which shields against chikungunya. Researchers previously believed that chikungunya virus was transmitted only by Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is found in the tropics. However, scientists suggest...