New vaccine for Chikungunya reported safe and well-tolerated

A virus-like particle vaccine was shown to be safe and well-tolerated among a healthy adult population living in chikungunya endemic areas, the researchers report in a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Even though all the attention and resources are currently directed towards severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and coronavirus disease (COVID-19), other threats such as the Chikungunya virus can also cause substantial morbidity and, therefore, should not be neglected entirely. Chikungunya – a continually evolving virus Chikungunya virus was discovered in the early 1950s after an outbreak in present-day Tanzania. Over the decades, it evolved and affected millions of people in outbreaks across Africa, South America, Asia, and the Caribbean, while smaller outbreaks have been described in Europe as well. This infectious agent is transmitted by mosquitos from the genus Aedes, causing a febrile disease characterized by joint inflammation and rashes. However, up to 50%...