The World Health Organization has issued an urgent call for action as cases of chikungunya virus explode across the globe.
The chikungunya virus is spread primarily by the Aedes mosquito species and nearly half a million people became infected between 2004 and 2005 – leading to a worldwide epidemic.
Chikungunya infections are most common in Asia, Africa and South America though more recently cases have also emerged across Europe and the US.
The virus can cause symptoms like fever, joint pain and life-threatening complications related to the heart and brain.
The infection does not spread from person to person through bodily contact or saliva and can only be transmitted through a bite from an infected mosquito.
Since there is no specific medical treatment for the chikungunya infections, experts are asking people to regularly use insect repellents and wear long-sleeve clothing to prevent mosquito bites this summer
Diana Rojas Alvarez, a medical officer at the who said of the new cases: ‘We are seeing history repeating itself,’ referencing the 2004-2005 epidemic.
The current surge began in early 2025, with major outbreaks in the Indian Ocean islands of La Reunion, Mayotte and Mauritius.
According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, there have been about 220,000 Chikungunya virus cases and 80 related deaths in 14 countries since the beginning of 2025.
Pictured: An ARS vector control agent fights against Chikungunya in La Reunion
An estimated one-third of La Reunion’s population – nearly 300,000 people – have already been infected, according to Rojas Alvarez.
During the last epidemic, about 266,000 people were infected out of which 203 died on La Reunion.
The virus has also spread to Madagascar, Somalia, Kenya and India and is making its way to Europe.
There have been approximately 800 imported chikungunya cases in continental France since May 1, Rojas Alvarez said.
Out of the 800 cases, 12 of the infected people had been bitten by local mosquitoes without having travelled to high-risk areas in several southern French regions.
The chikungunya outbreak has occurred far earlier in the year than is typical, and this could indicate the mosquitoes that carry chikungunya are becoming increasingly at home in France thanks to climate change, officials warned.
Two cases have also been reported in Italy this week and both people were infected within the country rather than abroad, according to the Foreign Office-backed Travel Health Pro.
In June of this year, Australian vacationers were issued a warning AS The Cook Islands, a nation in the South Pacific, declared the most recent outbreak of the disease after 19 cases were recorded.
Case counts have also been increasing in Samoa, Tonga, French Polynesia, Fiji and Kiribati.
As of July 16, two dozen cases of chikungunya infections in the US that had been contracted while traveling to high-risk areas have been reported by the CDC.
While it remains unclear where patients contracted the virus, the federal agency has issued an elevated risk of exposure notice for Brazil, Colombia, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines and Thailand.
Approximately 200 cases of the virus were reported in 2024 in the US.
About 220,000 Chikungunya virus cases and 80 related deaths in 14 countries have been reported since the beginning of 2025
According to the CDC, chikungunya was rarely identified in American travelers before 2006.
However between 2006– and 2013, nearly 30 people tested positive for the infection every year in the US.
All were travelers visiting or returning to the US from affected areas in Asia, Africa, or the Indian Ocean.
In 2014, 2,799 cases, out of which 12 were locally-acquired, were reported in various US states including Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands – marking the year as the highest ever.
Though not fatal, chikungunya can cause a range of effects, which are primarily marked by a sudden onset of fever and severe joint pain, while other common symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rashes.
While the acute phase of the illness usually resolves within a week or two, the joint pain can persist for weeks, months or even years in some individuals.
However, in some cases, infections can progress to severe dengue, which can cause potentially life-threatening complications such as internal bleeding and organ damage, and death.
The chikungunya virus is spread primarily by Aedes mosquito species (pictured)
In extreme cases, eye, heart and neurological complications have also been reported in people suffering from a chikungunya infection.
Newborns, adults aged 65 and older and people with certain health conditions are also at the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure due to an infection.
While the virus cannot be transmitted directly from person to person, people can become infected with chikungunya when mosquitoes feed on another infected person and then bite them.
If a pregnant woman is infected around the time of delivery, the baby can also be infected at birth, which often results in severe disease in the baby.
While there is no medication to treat a chikungunya infection, its symptoms can be managed by taking acetaminophen for pain and drinking lots of fluids.
In late 2023, the FDA also approved a vaccine for chikungunya for people over the age of 18 who are at increased risk of exposure to the virus called IXCHIQ.
Source link
