The World Health Organization (WHO) warned of a possible global outbreak of chikungunya virus, citing early signs similar to a major epidemic that occurred two decades ago.
Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease that causes fever and severe joint pain. While rarely fatal, the illness can be debilitating and pose serious public health risks when outbreaks occur on a large scale.
Chikungunya is not a disease that is widely known, but it has been detected and transmitted in 119 countries globally, putting 5.6 billion people at risk,” said the WHO’s Diana Rojas Alvarez.
Rojas Alvarez recalled that from 2004 to 2005, a significant chikungunya outbreak started in the Indian Ocean and eventually spread worldwide, affecting nearly half a million people.
A similar pattern is emerging this year, with major outbreaks reported in Reunion, Mayotte, and Mauritius.
WHO estimates that one-third of Reunion’s population may already have been infected.
The virus is now spreading to other areas in the region, including Madagascar, Somalia, and Kenya, with epidemic transmission also occurring in parts of South Asia.
Imported cases linked to the Indian Ocean outbreak have been recorded in Europe, with local transmission in France and suspected cases in Italy.
“We are raising the alarm early so countries can prepare early, detect and strengthen all the capacities to avoid going through very large outbreaks,” said Rojas Alvarez.
Although chikungunya’s case fatality rate is less than one percent, large-scale outbreaks could lead to thousands of deaths and overwhelm health systems, she added.
Chikungunya is transmitted by infected female Aedes mosquitoes, particularly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, also known as tiger mosquitoes. The latter species is expanding its range due to warming temperatures, making previously unaffected regions vulnerable.
WHO urged the public to take precautionary measures, such as using mosquito repellents and eliminating stagnant water where mosquitoes breed.
