Application of haemagglutination and complement-fixation techniques to the identification and serological classification of arthropod-borne viruses: Studies on Chikungunya and Makonde viruses

Abstract

Two viruses, Chikungunya virus and Makonde virus, which were isolated at the Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda, during an epidemic in Southern Province, Tanganyika Territory, in 1952–1953, have been studied by means of the haemagglutination-inhibition, complement-fixation and neutralization tests. Chikungunya virus is shown to belong to Group A of the arthropod-borne viruses and to be more closely related serologically to Mayaro and Semliki viruses than to any of the other known members of the group. Makonde virus is shown to belong to Group B and to be serologically indistinguishable from Uganda S virus.