Abstract:
Chikungunya is a viral disease caused by Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) that is
transmitted to humans by infected Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes. The
objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Chikungunya infection
among febrile patients seeking healthcare in Mzuzu City, Malawi. Blood samples were
collected during 2019 from outpatients attending Mzuzu Central Hospital who presented
with fever but who were malaria and sepsis negative. Sera from outpatients were
transported to the University of Malawi for analysis of the presence or absence of
CHIKV specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies and CHIKV ribonucleic acid
(RNA). Enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect anti-CHIKV
IgM antibodies while one step reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)
was conducted in IgM positive sera in order detect the presence of CHIKV RNA. Out of
119 CHIKV-suspected samples, 73 (61.3%) tested positive for anti-CHIKV IgM
antibodies by ELISA. When 14 of the IgM seropositive sera were randomly selected and
screened using RT-PCR, they were all positive for CHIKV RNA. This study has
therefore provided an insight of current seroprevalence of Chikungunya and circulation
of CHIKV among the human population in Mzuzu city, Malawi. These results suggest an
active circulation of CHIKV in the population, therefore accurate laboratory assays are
highly recommended for CHIKV diagnosis and appropriate management of febrile
patients.
