A35 The first laboratory confirmation of chikungunya outbreak in Ethiopia

Abstract Chikungunya is a viral disease (genus Alphavirus) which is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes—including Aedes aegypti and A. albopictus. An outbreak of febrile illness, suspected to have been caused by chikungunya, was reported in June 2016 from Dolloado district, Suuf Kebele, in the Somalia regional state of Ethiopia that borders the Mandera county of Kenya where a confirmed chikungunya outbreak was ongoing. Laboratory investigation was carried out to confirm if the outbreak in Ethiopia was caused by Chikungunya virus. Ten serum samples were collected from suspected patients visiting a health center in Suuf Kebel, who were then sent to the Nation laboratory in Ethiopian Public Health Institute. RNA was extracted from the serum samples using QIAgene RNA Mini kit, and PCR detection of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika virus nucleic acid was done using Trioplex Real-time RT-PCR Assay following the protocol from the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The Trioplex Real-time RT-PCR assay, for detection and differentiation of RNA from dengue, Chikungunya and Zika, was provided by CDC as part of the zika emergency preparedness effort. Of the nine samples tested, eight (88.88%) were found to be positive for chikungunya virus nucleic acid but negative for dengue and Zika virus nucleic acids. The median age of the affected sampled patients was 40 years, and males appear to be more affected (66.6% of sampled patients). The laboratory investigation confirmed that the outbreak was caused by chikungunya virus. Even though further molecular characterization of the positive isolates will provide more information as to the circulating genotypes and elucidate the origin of the outbreak virus, it is also possible to assume that the outbreak was an extension of the outbreak in neighboring countries in Kenya and, therefore, warrants that cross-border integration efforts to control chikungunya should be implemented by the concerned countries.