Mother-to-Child Transmission of Chikungunya Virus and Its Impact on the Neonatal Nervous System

Chikungunya fever is an infectious disease caused by the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an arbovirus. In recent years, large-scale outbreaks of Chikungunya fever have occurred in many parts of the world, posing a serious challenge to public health. Perinatal infection of CHIKV and its impact on neonates have attracted growing attention. This article aims to introduce the mechanisms and the influencing factors of mother-to-child transmission of CHIKV and to explore its impact on the nervous system in neonates. According to reported findings, CHIKV can cross the placental barrier, causing infection in the fetus, and can cross the blood-brain barrier, leading to various neurological diseases in neonates, such as microcephaly and encephalitis. In addition, factors influencing mother-to-child transmission include the maternal viral load and the stage of pregnancy at the time of infection. Through a review of current scholarly works, this article provides ideas and a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of mother-to-child transmission of CHIKV and for research into the mechanisms underlying CHIKV-induced brain injury in neonates.