Epidemiological and molecular analysis of the Chikungunya virus outbreak in the state of Rondônia.

PURPOSE: The Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an arbovirus transmitted by hematophagous arthropods, widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regionsAQ1. In Brazil, its introduction in 2014 marked the beginning of a significant expansion, becoming a major public health problem.

METHODS

This work consists of a cross-sectional study conducted from October 2024 to July 2025, in which 830 samples from patients with acute febrile illness and negative diagnosis for malaria were evaluatedAQ2. The samples were tested for dengue, Zika, and chikungunya and subjected to duplex RT-qPCR to detect Mayaro and Oropouche.

RESULTS

Of the samples analyzed, 5,18% (43/830) tested positive for some arbovirus investigated in this cohort, of which 53,49% (23/43) were detectable for CHIKV. The phylogenetic analysis showed that all samples belonged to the East/Central/South African (ECSA) genotype, demonstrating its circulation in the region.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings reinforce the need for continuous molecular surveillance to monitor the circulation of medically important arboviruses in the Amazon region.