This study aimed to show, based on the
literature on the subject, the potential for dispersal and establishment of the
chikungunya virus in
Brazil. The
chikungunya virus, a
Togaviridae member of the genus
Alphavirus, reached the
Americas in 2013 and, the following year, more than a million cases were reported. In
Brazil, indigenous
transmission was registered in Amapa and Bahia States, even during the period of low
rainfall, exposing the whole country to the
risk of
virus spreading.
Brazil is historically infested by Ae. Aegypti and Ae. albopictus, also
dengue vectors. Chikungunya may spread, and it is important to take
measures to prevent the
virus from becoming endemic in the country. Adequate care for
patients with
chikungunya fever requires
training general practitioners,
rheumatologists,
nurses, and experts in
laboratory diagnosis. Up to November 2014, more than 1,000 cases of the
virus were reported in
Brazil. There is a need for
experimental studies in
animal models to understand the dynamics of
infection and the
pathogenesis as well as to identify pathophysiological mechanisms that may contribute to identifying effective
drugs against the
virus. Clinical trials are needed to identify the causal relationship between the
virus and serious
injuries observed in different organs and
joints. In the absence of
vaccines or effective
drugs against the
virus, currently the only way to prevent the
disease is
vector control, which
will also reduce the number of cases of
dengue fever (AU)