Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), and several related alphaviruses, are mosquitotransmitted viruses that cause debilitating musculoskeletal disease in humans. Since 2004, CHIKV has caused millions of disease cases in the Indian Ocean region and has emerged in new areas, including Italy, France, the Middle East and the Pacific region [1]. The mosquito vectors for this virus are globally distributed in tropical and temperate zones, suggesting that CHIKV will continue to emerge in new areas. In fact, in December 2013 an outbreak of CHIKV occurred on St Martin, which has subsequently spread to multiple islands in the Caribbean, French Guiana and possibly to Mexico. This event has raised concerns of looming epidemics throughout the Americas. Chikungunya, which translates as “that which bends up the joints”, is characterized by an abrupt onset of fever and severe joint pain that may persist for weeks to years [2]. The arthralgia is typically symmetrical and affects peripheral joints, including wrists, knees, ankles and the small joints of the hand. Additional disease signs and symptoms include arthritis, with joints often exhibiting tenderness and swelling, tenosynovitis, skin rash and myalgia. In addition to these clinical features, severe neurologic and cardiac manifestations have been associated with CHIKV infection. In addition, mother-to-child transmission with high rates of morbidity have been reported [3]. Chronic CHIKV disease can be highly debilitating and have severe economic consequences [4, 5], highlighting the significant public health threat posed by CHIKV and the need for continued research into the pathogenesis of these infections. do host immune responses contribute to acute &/or chronic CHiKV disease?

Studies from humans and animal models have shown that disease signs and symptoms following infection with arthritogenic alphaviruses are associated with the infiltration of musculoskeletal tissues with monocytes/macrophages, NK cells and T cells, as well as with elevated levels of specific cytokines and components of the