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Review
. 2019 Feb 20;11(2):175.
doi: 10.3390/v11020175.

Tropism of the Chikungunya Virus

Giulia Matusali  1 , Francesca Colavita  2 , Licia Bordi  3 , Eleonora Lalle  4 , Giuseppe Ippolito  5 , Maria R Capobianchi  6 , Concetta Castilletti  7
Affiliations
Review

Tropism of the Chikungunya Virus

Giulia Matusali et al. Viruses. .

Abstract

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a re-emerging mosquito-borne virus that displays a large cell and organ tropism, and causes a broad range of clinical symptoms in humans. It is maintained in nature through both urban and sylvatic cycles, involving mosquito vectors and human or vertebrate animal hosts. Although CHIKV was first isolated in 1953, its pathogenesis was only more extensively studied after its re-emergence in 2004. The unexpected spread of CHIKV to novel tropical and non-tropical areas, in some instances driven by newly competent vectors, evidenced the vulnerability of new territories to this infectious agent and its associated diseases. The comprehension of the exact CHIKV target cells and organs, mechanisms of pathogenesis, and spectrum of both competitive vectors and animal hosts is pivotal for the design of effective therapeutic strategies, vector control measures, and eradication actions.

Keywords: animal hosts; arthropod vectors; chikungunya virus; pathogenesis; vertical transmission; viral tropism.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Sites of chikungunya virus replication in the Aedes mosquito vector.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Examples of tissue and cell tropism of chikungunya virus. Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infected cells in skin (A); skeletal muscle (B); joint and bone (C). DC—dendritic cell.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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