Chikungunya virus: What are the symptoms and how to prevent getting it

A terrifying virus for which there is no cure is spreading just as it did before a major outbreak swept across the world two decades ago. This is what you should know.

A major mosquito-borne virus epidemic is at risk of sweeping around the globe, the World Health Organisation has warned.

The WHO on Wednesday said it was identifying the same early warning signs as in a major outbreak two decades ago and called for urgent action to prevent another epidemic.

Chikungunya, meaning “that which bends up backwards”, is a mosquito-borne disease that leaves its sufferers with fever, severe joint and muscle pain, and can last for months or even years. It can be deadly in some cases.

“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.

The WHO says it is identifying the same early warning signs as in a major outbreak of chikungunya two decades ago. Picture: AFP

She recalled how from 2004 to 2005, a major chikungunya epidemic swept across the Indian Ocean, hitting small island territories before spreading globally and affecting almost half a million people.

“Today, WHO is seeing the same pattern emerge: since the beginning of 2025, Reunion, Mayotte and Mauritius have all reported major chikungunya outbreaks,” Dr Rojas Alvarez told a press briefing in Geneva on Wednesday.

“One-third of the population of Reunion is estimated to have been infected already.”

CHIKUNGUNYA VIRUS: WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

The symptoms of chikungunya are similar to those of dengue fever and Zika virus disease, making it difficult to diagnose, according to the WHO.

People should look out for any fever and severe joint pain, often in the hands and feet.

Other common symptoms include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and a rash. Symptoms usually appear between three and seven days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.

WHERE IS THE CHIKUNGUNYA VIRUS SPREADING?

Dr Rojas Alvarez said that, similar to 20 years ago, the virus was now spreading to other places in the region, such as Madagascar, Somalia and Kenya.

“Epidemic transmission is also occurring in south Asia,” she said.

In Europe, imported cases had also been reported, linked with the outbreak in the Indian Ocean islands.

Local transmission had been reported in France, with suspected cases detected in Italy.

“Because these patterns of transmission were seen in the outbreak from 2004 onwards, WHO is calling for urgent action to prevent history from repeating itself,” Dr Rojas Alvarez said.

WHAT IS THE FATALITY RATE OF THE CHIKUNGUNYA VIRUS?

Dr Rojas Alvarez said the case fatality rate was less than one per cent.

“But when you start counting millions of cases, that one percent can be thousands (of deaths),” she said.

“We are raising the alarm early so countries can prepare early, detect and strengthen all the capacities to avoid going through very large outbreaks.”

Chikungunya virus is transmitted to humans by the bites of infected female tiger mosquitoes. Picture: iStock

HOW DOES THE CHIKUNGUNYA VIRUS SPREAD?

Dr Rojas Alvarez said that in regions where populations have little or no immunity, the virus could quickly cause significant epidemics, affecting up to three-quarters of the population.

Chikungunya virus is transmitted to humans by the bites of infected female mosquitoes, most commonly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.

The latter, which is known as the tiger mosquito, is venturing farther north as the world warms because of human-driven climate change.

They bite primarily during daylight hours, with peak activity often in the early morning and late afternoon.

HOW TO PREVENT GETTING THE CHIKUNGUNYA VIRUS?

The WHO had urged people to protect themselves through measures like using mosquito repellent and not leaving water to stagnate in containers such as buckets, where mosquitoes can breed.