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Source: The post is based on the article “Ixchiq: How was the first vaccine for chikungunya approved?” published in “The Hindu” on 17th November 2023
Why in the News?
The United States(US) has approved the world’s first vaccine for chikungunya named Ixchiq.
What is Chikungunya?
| Specifications | Details |
| What is it | Mosquito borne Viral Disease |
| Caused by | Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an RNA virus in the alphavirus genus of the family Togaviridae. |
| Transmitted through | Mosquitoes most commonly Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti and Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus which can also transmit dengue and Zika viruses. |
| First Identified in | United Republic of Tanzania in 1952 and subsequently in other countries |
| Symptoms | Fever and joint pain,headache, muscle pain, joint swelling or rash |
| Treatment | Currently, there is no cure, only symptomatic relief with medicines. |
What is Ixchiq?
| Specifications | Details |
| What is it | World’s first vaccine for chikungunya |
| Vaccine Type | Contains a live, weakened version of the chikungunya virus |
| Administration | Single dose, administered by injection into the muscle |
| Side Effects | Headache, fatigue, muscle pain, joint pain, fever, nausea and tenderness at the injection site. |
| Significance | This approval will help in deployment of the vaccine especially in countries with high chikungunya prevalence like Brazil, Paraguay, and India. As per the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control, India had 93,455 suspected chikungunya cases until September in 2023. |
UPSC Syllabus: Diseases in News
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