Burden of Chikungunya Fever and Its Economic and Social Impacts Worldwide: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate the social and economic impacts and disease burden of Chikungunya Fever globally through a systematic literature review.

METHODS

We performed a comprehensive literature search through MEDLINE (via PubMed), LILACS, and Embase databases, and grey literature, including studies of populations diagnosed with Chikungunya Fever or at risk of infection published in English, Spanish, French, or Portuguese, without date restrictions. Two reviewers independently performed study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment. Methodological quality was assessed using different tools.

RESULTS

Forty-three publications were included. Until 2013, publications originated solely from the Asian and African continents. From 2015 onwards, South America emerged as the predominant source. Publications were classified as cost studies (25), including cost-of-illness (18) and program cost (6); burden of disease studies (10); cost-outcome studies (4), including cost-effectiveness (3) and cost-utility (1); and quality-of-life studies (15). Reported total direct costs associated with Chikungunya Fever ranged from US$ 3.5 million (US Virgin Islands, 2014-2015) to US$ 83.6 billion (Region of the Americas, 2013-2015). Direct medical costs varied from US$ 308.94 (Tamil Nadu, India, 2006) to US$ 33.7 million (Réunion Island, 2005-2006). Vector control program costs ranged from US$ 888,000 annually (Greece, 2013-2017) to US$ 466 million (Brazil, 2016). Estimated disability-adjusted life years per 100,000 population ranged from 4.53 (India, 2006) to 2432 (Region of the Americas, 2013-2015). Quality-of-life studies demonstrated substantial declines across multiple domains, indicating significant functional impairment due to Chikungunya Fever.

CONCLUSION

Chikungunya Fever imposes a considerable economic and social burden, surpassing that of other endemic arboviral diseases such as dengue and yellow fever. These findings underscore the need for further research to accurately quantify the full scope of Chikungunya Fever-related costs and impacts on affected populations.