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Global distribution of human chikungunya arbovirus infection: A review
Authors: Rouhullah Dehghani1 , Hamid Kassiri2 , Rozhin Kasiri3 , Mousa Dehghani4 , Maral Kasiri
Number of views: 202
The five main arbovirus families that cause diseases in humans
and other animals are Bunya¬viridae, Togaviridae, Flaviviridae,
Reoviridae, and Rhab¬doviridae. Chikungunya arbovirus
(Togaviridae: Alphavirus), an arbovirus transmitted by Aedes spp.,
is a well-known global health threat. It has been recognized in
more than 60 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
Pakistan, the eastern neighborhood of Iran, is one of the endemic
foci of this disease. As the largest province of Iran, SistanBaluchestan has always been threatened by infectious diseases
from abroad due to its geographical location and neighborhood
with Afghanistan and Pakistan. Contagious diseases are more
likely to occur in the eastern borders of Iran arising from (1) lack
or limited jobs due to deprivation of the area, the harsh weather
conditions, unbearable conditions, traditional society, and lack
of industry development; (2) Lack or limited facilities due to the
distance from the center of the country and high percentage of
illiteracy or low literacy, and traffic to neighboring countries to
trade goods and get a job. Therefore, health authorities should pay
more attention to trafficking of illegal aliens, traveling of people to
high-risk countries, smuggling of livestock, and strengthening of
quarantine posts across borders, especially in the eastern borders
of Iran. The first case of chikungunya disease was confirmed in
Sistan-Baluchestan province in 2019, where most of the cases
have been reported. The findings of the present study provide
evidence of chikungunya virus in Iran and emphasize the urgency
to increase the preventive standards and surveillance system.