Seroprevalence of Chikungunya Virus from a Tertiary Care Hospital of Central India-A Major Public Health Problem

Introduction: Chikungunya (CHIK) fever is a viral disease characterized by abrupt onset of fever with severe arthralgia followed by constitutional symptoms including rash. The disease is re-emerging in various parts of the Southeast Asia including India. This study aimed at determining the seroprevalence of acute infections of chikungunya virus in central India. Objective: to find the seroprevalence of chikungunya in suspected cases. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in a department of Microbiology MGM Medical College and M.Y. Hospital, Indore from January 2017 to December 2017. All serum samples were received with details patients, clinical finding and were tested for CHIK Immunoglobin M (IgM) antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: A total of 245 serum samples from suspected cases of chikungunya infection were received during the period from January 2017 to December 2017, out of which 188 (76.7%) samples were positive for CHIK. Conclusion: Chikungunya virus appears to be actively circulating in the population. Need for continuous surveillance for disease burden using multiple diagnostic tests and also warrants the need for an appropriate molecular diagnostic for early detection of chikungunya virus.