The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an urgent warning about the growing threat of the chikungunya virus, a mosquito-borne disease that once triggered a global epidemic two decades ago. Recent outbreaks linked to the Indian Ocean region have now begun to spread beyond, reaching Europe, Southeast Asia, and East Africa, raising alarm among health officials.
According to WHO medical officer Dr. Diana Rojas Alvarez, approximately 5.6 billion people across 119 countries are currently living in areas at risk of chikungunya transmission.
The virus, which causes high fever, severe joint pain, and in some cases, long-term disability, has re-emerged in several regions that were previously affected during the 2004–2005 outbreak.“We are seeing history repeating itself,” said Dr. Rojas Alvarez, referring to the last epidemic which began in small Indian Ocean island nations before rapidly expanding worldwide.
The current surge began in early 2025, with major outbreaks reported in La Réunion, Mayotte, and Mauritius — the same islands that were hit hard two decades ago. In La Réunion alone, an estimated one-third of the population has already been infected.
The virus has since spread to Madagascar, Somalia, and Kenya, while Southeast Asian nations — including India — are also witnessing epidemic-level transmission.
What has heightened global concern is the increasing number of imported cases in Europe, coupled with signs of local transmission. Since May 1, France has reported around 800 imported cases of chikungunya.
Additionally, 12 local transmission events have been detected across several regions in southern France — meaning individuals were infected locally, without traveling to high-risk areas. A locally transmitted case was also confirmed in Italy last week.
Chikungunya has no specific antiviral treatment and is primarily spread by Aedes mosquitoes, particularly the “tiger mosquito” — which also transmits dengue and Zika.
As these mosquitoes bite during the daytime, WHO emphasizes that prevention remains the most effective defense, urging the public to use insect repellent, wear long sleeves, and limit exposure during peak mosquito activity.
The WHO is now calling on countries, especially those in temperate zones where the virus is not traditionally endemic, to step up surveillance, public awareness, and vector control efforts to prevent a repeat of the devastating global spread seen two decades ago.