Autor(es): Carbajo Aníbal E, Vezzani Darío

Resumo: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) transmission has been detected in America in 2013 - recently reached south up to Bolivia, Brazil - Paraguay, bordering countries of Argentina. The presence of the mosquito Aedes aegypti in half of the country together with the regional context drove us to make a rapid assessment of transmission risk. Temperature thresholds for vector breeding - for virus transmission, together with adult activity from the literature, were mapped on a monthly basis to estimate risk. Transmission of chikungunya by Ae. aegypti in the world was seen at monthly mean temperatures from 21-34ºC, with the majority occurring between 26-28ºC. In Argentina temperatures above 21ºC are observed since September in the northeast, exp-ing south until January - retreating back to the northeast in April. The maximum area under risk encompasses more than half the country - around 32 million inhabitants. Vector adult activity was registered where monthly means temperatures exceeded 13ºC, in the northeast all over the year - in the northern half from September-May. The models herein proposed show that conditions for transmission are already present. Considering the regional context - the historic inability to control dengue in the region, chikungunya fever illness seems unavoidable.

Palavras-Chave: Aedes aegypti; Vector-borne diseases; Alphavirus; South America

Imprenta: Memo?rias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, v. 110, n. 2, p. 259-262, 2015

Identificador do objeto digital: 10.1590/0074-02760150005 

Descritores: Chikungunya virus - Pathogenesis ; Chikungunya virus - Viral infections ; Chikungunya Virus - Virus ; Chikungunya virus - Transmission ; Chikungunya virus - Chikungunya fever ; Chikungunya virus - Dengue ; Chikungunya virus - Public health

Data de publicação: 2015