The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an urgent warning about the growing global spread of the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus, urging immediate preventive action to avoid a repeat of the 2004–2005 epidemic.
Medical officer Diana Rojas Alvarez stated that 5.6 billion people across 119 countries currently live in areas at risk of chikungunya, which causes high fever, severe joint pain, and potentially long-term disability.
Drawing comparisons to past outbreaks, Rojas Alvarez said, “We are seeing history repeating itself,” as the current surge mirrors the spread of the virus two decades ago.
The new wave of chikungunya began in early 2025, affecting Indian Ocean territories such as La Réunion, Mayotte, and Mauritius—regions previously hit hard by the virus.
In La Réunion alone, one-third of the population is estimated to have been infected, underscoring the intensity of the outbreak.
The virus is now spreading further across Africa, including Madagascar, Somalia, and Kenya, and showing signs of epidemic transmission in Southeast Asia, particularly India.
WHO raised serious concern about the rising number of imported and locally transmitted cases in Europe, with France and Italy already reporting multiple infections.
Since May 1, approximately 800 imported cases have been reported in France, along with 12 confirmed local transmission events in southern regions, where people were infected without recent travel.
A case was also reported in Italy last week, indicating that the virus is now spreading through local mosquito populations in parts of Europe.
Chikungunya, primarily spread by Aedes mosquitoes such as the “tiger mosquito,” has no specific treatment, making prevention crucial through daytime mosquito protection like repellents and long-sleeved clothing.
