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Seroprevalence of Chikungunya Virus (CHIKV) Infection on Lamu Island, Kenya, October 2004

An outbreak of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) disease associated with high fever and severe protracted arthralgias was detected in Lamu, Kenya, peaking in July 2004. At least 1,300 cases were documented. We conducted a seroprevalence study to define the magnitude of transmission on Lamu Island. We conducted a systematic cross-sectional survey. We administered questionnaires and tested 288 sera from Lamu residents for IgM and IgG antibodies to CHIKV. Chikungunya virus infection (seropositivity) was defined as a person with IgG and/or IgM antibodies to CHIKV. IgM antibodies to CHIKV were detected in 18% (53/288) and IgG antibodies in 72% (206/288); IgM and/or IgG antibodies were present in 75% (215/288). The seroprevalence findings suggested that the outbreak was widespread, affecting 75% of the Lamu population; extrapolating the findings to the entire population, 13,500 (95% CI, 12,458–14328) were affected. Vector control strategies are needed to control the spread of this mosquito-borne infection.

Received September 2, 2006. Accepted for publication July 2, 2007.

Acknowledgments: We thank the people of Lamu Island for their participation in the study and the Lamu District Health Office for its tremendous support. We appreciate the many helpful suggestions that we received during the course of this study and manuscript review from Drs. Roy Campbell, Ned Hayes, Barry Miller, and Ann Powers and other staff within the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, CDC, Ft. Collins, CO.

^* Address correspondence to Robert F. Breiman, International Emerging Infections Program, CDC-KEMRI, Nairobi, Kenya. E-mail: RFB2{at}cdc.gov

Authors’ addresses: Kibet Sergon, Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, Nairobi, Kenya. Charles Njugana and Rosalia Kalani, Disease Outbreak Management Unit, Ministry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya. Victor Ofula, Clayton Onyango, Limbaso S. Konongoi, and Rosemary Sang, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya. Sheryl Bedno, US Army Medical Research Unit, Nairobi, Kenya. Athman M. Dumilla, Ministry of Health, Lamu, Kenya. Joseph Konde, Central Bureau of Statistics, Mombasa, Kenya. Heather Burke, M. Kariuki Njenga, and Robert F. Breiman, International Emerging Infections Program, Nairobi, Kenya, Telephone: 254-20-271-3008, x166, Fax: 254-20-271-4745, E-mail: RFB2{at}cdc.gov.

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