Chikungunya Virus; Global Spread, Mechanisms of Emergence, and Predicting Epidemic Variants

Dr. Lark L. Coffey 
Faculty, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine 

When humans are infected with the Chikungunya virus, which has no vaccine, they suffer from fever, muscle pain, arthritis-like joint pain, and rash. Dr. Lark Coffey’s interest in vector-borne diseases, especially newly emerging viruses, led her to study Chikungunya. She explains that this virus is an arbovirus, meaning it has an arthropod vector and vertebrate reservoir. In Africa and Asia, where major outbreaks have originated, mosquitos spread the virus primarily through non-human primates and rodents. In conclusion, Dr. Coffey notes how scientists can use the tools at their disposal to study virus mutations and predict their epidemic variants. 

Recorded: February 20, 2015