First Identification of an Autochthonous Case of Chikungunya in Guinea
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: The first confirmation of chikungunya virus infection in Guinea is reported in the present study. The patient, a 68-year-old woman presumptively diagnosed with malaria and with no history of travel, was identified through a research project focused on the etiologies of febrile illnesses in Guinea. A whole-blood sample from the patient was analyzed using multiplex reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, yielding a positive result for chikungunya virus, and was subsequently sequenced. The near-complete genome sequence was most closely related to strains circulating that year in Senegal. The study data are noteworthy because, despite past serological evidence of transmission, active human infection with the chikungunya virus has not previously been observed in Guinea; its emergence is linked to the identification of Aedes vectors in Dalaba. Further clinical and entomological investigations are warranted, along with country-wide genomic surveillance of arboviruses to better understand risk factors that have driven the emergence of chikungunya in Guinea and prevent possible future epidemics.
Authors: Mamadou Bhoye Keita, Martin Faye, Basala Traoré, Mahamoud Sama Cherif, Mamadou Aliou Sampou, Alpha Mahmoud Barry, Zoumana Isaac Traore, Emilie Ryan-Castillo, Mariama Dalanda Diallo, Kaba Kourouma, Alimou Camara, Sanaba Boumbaly, Moussa Aminata Keita, Mouctar Keita, Abdourahmane Diallo, Houssainatou Bah, Abdoulaye Oury Barry, Ibrahima Gouressy, Jean DeMarco, Claire J. Standley
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7171807100
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