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Chikungunya virus affected nearly half of Cambodian village
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Officials in Cambodia reported an outbreak of chikungunya virus in the village of Trapeang Roka in Kampong Speu province.
According to the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the East/Central/South African strain of chikungunya was first reported in Cambodia in 2006. Sporadic cases were seen in 2011. Chikungunya virus antibodies have been found in serum samples collected in Cambodia since 2007, but the strain was not identified.
On March 7, several residents of the Trapeang Roka village reported rash with fever. Four of six blood samples from these people showed the presence of chikungunya virus. According to the report, this outbreak affected 44.7% of the population, which includes 695 residents in 134 houses. All cases were seropositive for the virus.
Most of those with symptoms reported symptom onset occurring within 3 to 5 weeks after a period of rain. The researchers suggested that the outbreak began 3 weeks after a large rainfall from Feb. 13 to 14. The outbreak lasted approximately 3 weeks and was almost over when the serosurvey was conducted on March 26.
“Awareness of the location and extent of chikungunya virus infection can help guide health planning efforts and prioritization of resources for control, both in Cambodia and nearby, currently unaffected countries such as Laos or Vietnam,” the researchers wrote.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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