Detection of chikungunya virus in saliva and urine.
Saliva and urine have been used for arthropod-borne viruses molecular detection but not yet for chikungunya virus (CHIKV). We investigated the use of saliva and urine for molecular detection of CHIKV during the French Polynesian outbreak.



During the French Polynesian chikungunya outbreak (2014-2015), we collected the same day blood and saliva samples from 60 patients with probable chikungunya (47 during the 1st week post symptoms onset and 13 after), urine was available for 39 of them. All samples were tested using a CHIKV reverse-transcription PCR.



Forty eight patients had confirmed chikungunya. For confirmed chikungunya presenting during the 1st week post symptoms onset, CHIKV RNA was detected from 86.1 % (31/36) of blood, 58.3 % (21/36) of saliva and 8.3 % (2/24) of urine. Detection rate of CHIKV RNA was significantly higher in blood compared to saliva. For confirmed chikungunya presenting after the 1st week post symptoms onset, CHIKV RNA was detected from 8.3 % (1/12) of blood, 8.3 % (1/12) of saliva and 0 % (0/8) of urine.



In contrast to Zika virus (ZIKV), saliva did not increased the detection rate of CHIKV RNA during the 1st week post symptoms onset. In contrast to ZIKV, dengue virus and West Nile virus, urine did not enlarged the window of detection of CHIKV RNA after the 1st week post symptoms onset. Saliva can be used for molecular detection of CHIKV during the 1st week post symptoms onset only if blood is impossible to collect but with a lower sensitivity compared to blood.
Laboratoire de biologie médicale, Institut Louis Malardé, PO Box 30, 98713, Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia. dmusso@ilm.pf.|Pôle de recherche et de veille sur les maladies infectieuses émergentes, Institut Louis Malardé, Tahiti, French Polynesia. dmusso@ilm.pf.
Didier
D
Musso
Pôle de recherche et de veille sur les maladies infectieuses émergentes, Institut Louis Malardé, Tahiti, French Polynesia.
Anita
A
Teissier
Laboratoire de biologie médicale, Institut Louis Malardé, PO Box 30, 98713, Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia.
Eline
E
Rouault
Laboratoire de biologie médicale, Institut Louis Malardé, PO Box 30, 98713, Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia.
Sylviane
S
Teururai
Laboratoire de biologie médicale, Institut Louis Malardé, PO Box 30, 98713, Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia.
Jean-Jacques
JJ
de Pina
Laboratoire de biologie médicale, Institut Louis Malardé, PO Box 30, 98713, Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia.
Tu-Xuan
TX
Nhan
D065632:Chikungunya Fever / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine / Q000821:virology*; D002646:Chikungunya virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000652:urine; D012463:Saliva / Q000821:virology*; D014556:Urine / Q000821:virology*
D012367:RNA, Viral
Arbovirus; CHIKV; Chikungunya; French Polynesia; PCR; Saliva; Urine