Title: Chikungunya virus
Authors: Ramphal Y, de Oliveira T.
Journal: Nature Ecology & Evolution, 10:610-610 (2026)
Abstract
Yajna Ramphal and Tulio de Oliveira are fascinated by the adaptive evolution of chikungunya virus. Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus whose positive-sense, singlestranded RNA is neatly packed into an 11.8-kb genome. Since the CHIKV outbreak in Brazil in 2014, T.d.O. has led efforts to detect and characterize multiple outbreaks in the Americas and Africa. Y.R.’s journey with CHIKV began with her master’s research to understand the transmission patterns, evolution and disease burden of the virus. What we did not expect was to uncover a virus with a remarkable capacity for adaptation and a genomic history that often left us with scientific ‘cliff-hangers’.
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Citation: Ramphal Y, de Oliveira T. Chikungunya virus Nature Ecology & Evolution, 10:610-610 (2026).