Key Facts:
Chikungunya is an infection caused by Chikungunya virus.
The virus is spread between people by two types of mosquitos: Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti and the symptoms include fever and joint pain.
Prime Highlights:
IIT Roorkee scientists have identified Efavirenz, an HIV drug, as a potential treatment for Chikungunya.
The research, supported by ICMR, showed that Efavirenz reduced the replication of the Chikungunya virus in lab cultures and mice models.
Key Background:
Scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee have identified Efavirenz, a drug primarily used to treat HIV, as a promising candidate for treating Chikungunya, a mosquito-borne viral disease prevalent in India. The research, supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), demonstrated that Efavirenz significantly reduced the replication of the Chikungunya virus in both laboratory-grown cell cultures and infected mice models.
Chikungunya, characterized by fever, joint pain, muscle aches, and rashes, remains a persistent public health issue in India, with annual outbreaks across various states. Despite its widespread impact, no specific antiviral treatment for the disease has been approved to date. The discovery by IIT Roorkee scientists offers a potential breakthrough in the search for effective therapies.
The study also found that Efavirenz inhibited the replication of the Sindbis virus, a virus closely related to Chikungunya. Dr. Sanket Nehul, the study’s first author, highlighted that Efavirenz appears to target the virus during its early replication stages. Given the drug’s established use in HIV treatment, he suggested that clinical trials could expedite its investigation for Chikungunya, potentially reducing the cost and time involved in developing a new antiviral drug.
Prof. Shailly Tomar, the study’s corresponding author, noted that current treatments for Chikungunya only manage symptoms, and there is an urgent need for specific antiviral options. While the findings present encouraging results, Prof. Tomar emphasized the necessity of further clinical trials to assess Efavirenz’s effectiveness in treating Chikungunya patients.
IIT Roorkee Director Prof. Kamal Kishore Pant reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to addressing global health challenges, stating that the study represents a significant step forward in combating mosquito-borne viral infections. However, the researchers cautioned that while the results are promising, additional studies and trials are needed to confirm Efavirenz’s safety and efficacy as a treatment for Chikungunya.
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