People afraid of contracting chikungunya from mosquitoes have reason to hope. A vaccine for the virus is currently undergoing its first stages of human trials.
The vaccine so far has shown promise for protecting people from the chikungunya virus. The report is published online in the Lancet.
"The vaccine was safe and well-tolerated, and we believe that this vaccine makes a type of antibody that is effective against chikungunya," said Dr. Julie Ledgerwood, leader of the study.
This would be the first medication to treat or prevent this virus which manifests with fever and severe arthiritis.
The Chikungunya virus has spread through Africa and Asia to the Caribbean, and now to the United States. The first domestic cases of the virus were reported in Florida last month when four Americans caught the virus.
Ledgerwood said the next step in the clinical trials will be to test the vaccine on more people and more age groups since the current study looked at a relatively small 25-person group. She said the vaccine also has to be tested in areas where the virus is endemic to see whether it truly protects patients.
She estimates that the testing will take another five years before it is on the market for the public. She added that it could be given to people living in the areas and to travelers and military personnel if it is proven to be safe and effective.
According to the CDC, the Chikungunya virus cases fevers, joint pain and swelling. The pain can be long term even if the symptoms disappear, and in some cases, the virus could be fatal.
Participants were given three shot of the vaccine over a 20 week period.
In the trials, investigators found that after the first shot even the lowest doses of the drug produced antibodies that were effective. After the second shot, all participants developed large amounts of the antibodies that were long-lasting even after six months. And it made antibodies against several types of the virus.
The vaccine also didn't show any serious side effects, but 10 of the 25 participants experienced slight reactions such as headache, nausea or not feeling well after the injection.
Participants showed a level of antibodies comparable to people who had recovered naturally.
"This observation gives us additional confidence that this vaccine would provide as much protection as natural infection," said Ledgerwood.
