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The world ’s first vaccinum to protect against chikungunya virus , which is fan out by mosquito , was just approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) .
" Infection with chikungunya computer virus can lead to terrible disease and extend health problem , peculiarly for old grownup and individuals with underlying aesculapian conditions,“Dr . Peter Marks , director of the FDA ’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research , said in theagency ’s announcement .
Female mosquitoes in the speciesAedes aegypti(pictured) can carry chikungunya virus and spread it to people.
The vaccine ’s approval , annunciate Thursday ( Nov. 9 ) , " cover an unmet medical need and is an important advancement in the prevention of a potentially enfeeble disease with modified treatment option , " he said .
Chikungunya — whichmeans " to become contorted"in Kimakonde , a language spoken by the Makonde people in Africa — most commonly causes fever and joint nuisance . It can also cause headache , muscle infliction , joint swelling and rash . The joint pain can be severe but normally goes away in a few mean solar day . However , in some instances , that hurting linger for calendar week , months or long time .
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Rarely , chikungunya infections have cause center , affectionateness and neurological complicatedness . And in uncommon cases , the computer virus can down . neonate infect around the time of birth , grownup older than 65 year old and mass with medical conditions , such as high blood pressure , diabetes or heart disease , face the highest risk of terrible symptoms and death , according to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC ) .
The Modern vaccine , call Ixchiq , is approve for use in people age 18 and older " who are at increase risk of exposure to chikungunya virus , " according to the FDA ’s approving . It ’s given as a single - dose injectant into the muscle and contains a " live " but weakened version of the computer virus .
In trials , the most commonly reported side effect were headache , fatigue , sinew pain , joint pain in the neck , febricity , nausea and soreness . Notably , about 1.6 % of people in the test make grow more life-threatening , chikungunya - similar symptom that step in with everyday natural process or required medical tending .
Because of these rare severe effects , " the FDA is ask the ship’s company to conduct a postmarketing study to evaluate the serious risk of severe chikungunya - like inauspicious response follow administration of Ixchiq . " It ’s also not bonk whether the virus in the vaccinum could pass through the placenta to a foetus and make impairment , so the vaccine ’s recording label states this in a word of advice .
Most cases of chikungunya pass off in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa , Southeast Asia and parts of the Americas where mosquito that contain the virus are far-flung , according to the FDA . case in the U.S. mostly occur in travelers who ’ve just returned from situation where the disease regularly spreads . Between 2014 and 2022 , between 30 and 2,800 such travel - relate cases were reported in the U.S. each class , CDC datum shows .
In 2014 and 2015 , though , 12 citizenry in Florida and one in Texas catch chikungunya locally , and there have also been case of local infection in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands . These commonwealth and dominion harbor mosquito species that can carry the virus .
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That said , no locally - acquired example have been report in either U.S. states or dominion for the past three geezerhood ( throughout the COVID-19pandemic ) .
Modeling datum do suggestchikungunya - carrying mosquito could spreadto new territories in coming yearsdue to climate change , so the viral disease could theoretically stick a problem in new lieu in the time to come .
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