RUCHİR DAVE, MONİLA PATEL, DEEPAK KUMAR, MAYUR PATİL, PRİYASH TAMBİ, VİSHAL PARMAR, AKASH DHOLAKİA, VİVEK KUTE, PUNEET ARORA, HARİ SHANKAR MESHRAM
Experimental and Clinical Transplantation - 2023;21(9):722-726
Objectives: Chikungunya is an arboviral illness, with patients presenting with fever, arthralgias, and myalgias. Outbreaks have occurred in tropical regions, and the virus is now endemic to many tropics, including South Asia, with India contributing a large part of the global burden. The presentation and long-term effects on transplant recipients are largely unknown. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective analytical study, we compared chikungunya infection in 44 kidney transplant recipients from multiple centers in India and 34 patients general population. Data were collected from medical records and patient recall. Results: Differences in presentation were remarkable between the 2 groups, with significantly lower incidence of musculoskeletal symptoms on presentation in transplant recipients compared with the general population. The incidence of acute graft dysfunction was 17.08% in transplant recipients, with return to baseline at the end of 1 month. Acute symptomatology resolved in transplant recipients within 1 month, and insignificant chronic symptoms were reported after 3 months. Conclusions: Chikungunya in kidney transplant recipients is markedly different from that of the general population, with significantly lower incidence of musculoskeletal symptoms such as arthralgias. The infection caused acute graft dysfunction, but no long-term sequelae were shown at the end of 1 year.
