Outbreak investigation of reemerging chikungunya virus in Malaysia in 2019–2020
BMC Infectious Diseases·
- DOI
- 10.1186/s12879-026-13793-7
- PMID
- 42277731
- PMCID
- —
- OpenAlex
- W7164326744
- Study type
- Genomic study
- Publisher
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
Tracking these adapted viral lineages helps clarify regional transmission pathways and highlights potential shifts in pathogen behavior affecting community health planning.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
How did the 2019–2020 chikungunya resurgence in Malaysia originate, and what genetic characteristics distinguish the circulating virus from previous local outbreaks?
Study design
Researchers performed a phased outbreak investigation combining molecular testing and complete viral genome sequencing across multiple sites.
Population and setting
The analysis focused on individuals sampled from three specific locations in Perak state during a four-month period at the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020.
Main findings
Active infection was detected in approximately sixty-nine percent of participants, while roughly nine percent exhibited concurrent dengue exposure. Phylogenetic mapping demonstrated that the local virus aligned with contemporary international epidemic strains rather than earlier domestic variants. Identified genetic markers correlated with enhanced mosquito vector survival and greater disease severity.
Public-health relevance
Tracking these adapted viral lineages helps clarify regional transmission pathways and highlights potential shifts in pathogen behavior affecting community health planning.
Important limitations
The assessment was confined to a small cohort from three specific locations, which inherently limits broader representativeness.
GIDS interpretation
This publication offers archival genomic data useful for contextualizing historical arbovirus circulation patterns and cross-regional viral movement within established tracking databases.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 11 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.