Abstract

It has been discovered that people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) constitute a particularly vulnerable group for Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection primarily transmitted through the bite of infected female mosquitoes, with Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus being the principal vectors. CHIKV-induced oxidative stress contributes to endothelial dysfunction and vascular permeability, which may underlie complications such as hemorrhagic manifestations in severe cases. This study investigated the co-infection of CHIKV in people living with HIV in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Five milliliter (5ml) of blood samples were obtained through the vein puncture into an EDTA bottle (to prevent coagulation) during the months of June and July 2025 from consented male and female adults living with HIV, attending the antiretroviral clinic outpatients at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), Port Harcourt. A total of one hundred (100) blood samples were collected. The samples were centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 10 minutes and the plasma was separated into another tube and labeled appropriately. A DIA.Pro Chikunguya (Italy) ELISA kit was employed for the detection of the presence of the Chikunguya IgM and the assay was performed. Software minitab version 21.3 was used to analyze the data obtained. Of the 100 HIV-positive blood samples analyzed, only three (3) of them were detected to be co-infected with Chikungunya virus – HIV/CHIKV (3%). Of the 3 co-infected, Two (2) were females and one (1) was a male. The occurrence of HIV/CHIKV co-infection was found to be higher among people within the ages of 31 – 40. This shows that the seropevalence of the Chikunguya IgM in people living with HIV in Port Harcourt was low compared to previous studies in other places. This suggests that there is herd immunity against Chikunguya virus in Port Harcourt among people living with HIV. This is because there are still people living with HIV who do not have the protection against the virus and may have severe health consequences from the viral infection. The findings of this study underscore the importance of environmental sanitation as to eradicate or minimize the Aedes mosquitoes which are the transmitters of the virus.