Infections due to chikungunya and other mosquito-borne viruses, such as dengue and Zika, represent an area of significant unmet medical need. There are currently no approved medicines for prophylaxis or treatment of these diseases, and the development and implementation of vaccines against these viruses has proved problematic. Although antiviral molecules with treatment and prophylactic potential against chikungunya virus have been identified, no successful field trials have been reported. Chemoprophylaxis may be attractive for unvaccinated at-risk populations, but performing a successful chemoprophylaxis trial during a chikungunya outbreak will require a clearly identifiable at-risk population. We propose the application of a household transmission model, as used in testing drugs against respiratory viruses. Current evidence on household clustering of chikungunya and other Aedes mosquito-borne viral infections is supportive. We suggest that this model may improve prophylaxis trial feasibility, as well as focusing research and future treatment on a population likely to benefit.
Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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