Researchers in the US have developed the world’s first vaccine for chikungunya fever, which has been derived from an insect-specific virus that does not have side effects on people. Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. It causes fever and severe joint pain. Other symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue, and rash.
The disease shares some clinical signs with dengue and can be misdiagnosed in areas where dengue is common. There is no cure for the disease and the treatment is focused on relieving the symptoms. “This vaccine offers efficient, safe and affordable protection against chikungunya and builds the foundation for using viruses that only infect insects to develop vaccines against other insect-borne diseases,” said the researcher from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Traditionally, vaccine development requires…
