Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 Jul 17;8(7):365.
doi: 10.3390/tropicalmed8070365.

Chikungunya Virus Diagnosis: A Review of Current Antigen Detection Methods

Fredy Brice Nemg Simo  1 , Felicity Jane Burt  1   2 , Nigel Aminake Makoah  1
Affiliations
Review

Chikungunya Virus Diagnosis: A Review of Current Antigen Detection Methods

Fredy Brice Nemg Simo et al. Trop Med Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease caused by the chikungunya virus (CHIKV). CHIKV is expanding at an alarming rate, potentially spreading and establishing endemicity in new areas where competent vectors are present. The dramatic spread of CHIKV in recent years highlights the urgent need to take precautionary measures and investigate options for control. It is crucial in developing nations where diagnostic tools are limited, and symptoms are similar to other prevalent diseases such as malaria and dengue. The most reliable method for diagnosing chikungunya virus is viral gene detection by RT-PCR. Alternative methods like detecting human antibody and viral antigen can also be used, especially in areas where resources are limited. In this review, we summarize the limited data on antigen detection immunoassays. We further explain the essential structural elements of the virus to help comprehend the scientific concepts underlying the testing methods, as well as future methods and diagnostic approaches under investigation.

Keywords: chikungunya antigen detection; chikungunya virus; diagnosis; enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; lateral flow assay.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A) Morphological structure of the virus adapted from [10], (B) structural and nonstructural proteins of the virus. Legend: ORF (Opened reading frame; nsP (Nonstructural proteins; C (Capsid); E (Envelop) J (Junction).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Algorithm of the diagnosis of chikungunya virus infections.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Burt F.J., Chen W., Miner J.J., Lenschow D.J., Merits A., Schnettler E., Kohl A., Rudd P.A., Taylor A., Herrero L.J., et al. Chikungunya Virus: An Update on the Biology and Pathogenesis of This Emerging Pathogen. Lancet Infect. Dis. 2017;17:e107–e117. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(16)30385-1. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Khongwichit S., Chansaenroj J., Chirathaworn C., Poovorawan Y. Chikungunya Virus Infection: Molecular Biology, Clinical Characteristics, and Epidemiology in Asian Countries. J. Biomed. Sci. 2021;28:84. doi: 10.1186/s12929-021-00778-8. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Caglioti C., Lalle E., Castilletti C., Carletti F., Capobianchi M.R., Bordi L. Chikungunya Virus Infection: An Overview. N. Microbiol. 2013;36:211–227. - PubMed
    1. Moizéis R.N.C., de Medeiros Fernandes T.A.A., Guedes P.M.d.M., Pereira H.W.B., Lanza D.C.F., de Azevedo J.W.V., Galvão J.M.d.A., Fernandes J.V. Chikungunya Fever: A Threat to Global Public Health. Pathog. Glob. Health. 2018;112:182–194. doi: 10.1080/20477724.2018.1478777. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Soumahoro M.-K., Boelle P.-Y., Gaüzere B.-A., Atsou K., Pelat C., Lambert B., Ruche G.L., Gastellu-Etchegorry M., Renault P., Sarazin M., et al. The Chikungunya Epidemic on La Réunion Island in 2005–2006: A Cost-of-Illness Study. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis. 2011;5:e1197. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001197. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources