Objective To conduct a bibliometric analysis of antiviral research on chikungunya fever, to reveal the current status and research hotspots, and to provide references for infection prevention and drug development. Methods Publications related to antiviral studies on chikungunya fever were retrieved from the Web of Science core collection from database inception to August 10, 2025. CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used for visual analysis of publication output, countries, journals, institutions, authors, and keywords, wheras Excel 2019 was employed to summarize and calculate the frequency of drug-related keywords. Results A total of 583 publications were included, showing an overall upward trend in output between 2004 and 2025. The United States had the highest number of publications; the top three productive authors were Merits Andres, Neyts Johan, and Delang Leen, Antiviral Research was the leading journal in terms of publications, and core research forces were concentrated in comprehensive universities such as the University of Tartu and infectious disease institutes such as the Institut Pasteur. Keyword analysis indicated that “chikungunya virus” “replication” “infection” were high-frequency core terms. Research themes mainly focused on viral replication, infection, and identification, encompassing molecular docking, gene expression, and inhibitor screening, as well as animal model construction and cross-virus studies. Keyword frequency analysis of antiviral drugs showed that chemical drugs dominated the field, with small-molecule inhibitors being the most common, and chloroquine and ribavirin appearing most frequently, studies on biologics, traditional Chinese medicine, and natural products were relatively scattered. Conclusion Antiviral research on chikungunya virus remains in its early stages, with a paucity of clinically approved therapeutics and specific vaccines. Research priorities have shifted from transmission surveillance toward drug discovery and target-based investigations, with emerging technologies—including structural biology, molecular docking, and reverse genetics—facilitating candidate compound development. Future research should prioritize drug repurposing, multi-target strategies, and systematic evaluation of bioactive natural products, particularly flavonoids, diterpenoids, and traditional Chinese medicinal compounds for symptomatic intervention. Integrating interdisciplinary methodologies and fostering international collaboration are essential to enhance research efficiency, accelerate clinical translation, and provide innovative avenues for chikungunya virus prevention and control.

chikungunya fever  /  chikungunya virus  /  antiviral drugs  /  medicinal chemistry strategies  /  bibliometrics  /  CiteSpace  /  VOSviewer