Arbovirus diagnostics: from conventional methods to emerging technologies—a chikungunya virus-centric review

Arboviruses remain an important global health concern because of their expanding distribution, diverse transmission patterns, and the challenges associated with accurate and timely diagnosis. This review is centered on Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) as a representative model, focusing on diagnostic strategies across different stages of infection and the key diagnostic pitfalls that affect CHIKV detection in co-circulation settings. In this review, we summarize current laboratory-based approaches for CHIKV detection and differential diagnosis, including virus isolation, antigen detection, nucleic acid amplification and serological assays, with discussion of their applications, strengths and limitations. We further review recent developments in emerging diagnostic technologies, including next-generation sequencing, CRISPR-based detection methods, aptamer-based recognition systems, biosensors, and point-of-care testing platforms, highlighting their potential advantages and current limitations. Comparative examples involving dengue virus (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) are discussed specifically to illustrate cross-reactivity and misclassification risks relevant to CHIKV diagnosis. Particular attention is given to persistent issues affecting diagnostic accuracy and practical implementation, including serological cross-reactivity among co-circulating arboviruses and the challenges of translating advanced technologies into accessible tools for field and resource-limited settings. Overall, this review summarizes progress in CHIKV-relevant diagnostics and outlines future opportunities for developing more reliable, rapid, and widely applicable detection strategies.