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Chikungunya, an infectious disease caused by the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), is becoming a global health threat with outbreaks occurring in many areas. According to experts, the disease is not transmitted directly from person to person but is mediated by Aedes mosquitoes, the same type of mosquito that transmits dengue fever.
This mosquito species is primarily active during the day, with peak biting activity occurring in the early morning and late afternoon, creating favorable conditions for the virus to spread.
Global alert and worrying disease situation.
On July 22, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an urgent warning about the alarming rate of spread of Chikungunya. Several large outbreaks have been recorded on Indian Ocean islands such as La Réunion and Mayotte. From these initial outbreaks, the virus has spread to other parts of Africa, South Asia, and even Europe.
Chikungunya outbreaks are occurring in many countries due to unusual climate patterns, the expanding distribution of Aedes mosquitoes, dense urbanization, and low community immunity.
According to the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC), by mid-2025, the disease had infected more than 240,000 people and caused 90 deaths globally, recorded in at least 16 countries and territories. One of the largest outbreaks this year occurred in Guangdong province, China.
In the first half of 2025, the province recorded more than 4,800 cases, marking the largest outbreak ever in the region. Although the number of new cases had dropped sharply by August 10th, the total number of infections in China had surpassed 7,000, demonstrating the scale and severity of the epidemic.
Since the beginning of 2025, many countries have recorded outbreaks of chikungunya, with hundreds of thousands of cases causing fever and joint and muscle pain.
After being bitten by an infected mosquito, patients typically experience symptoms within 4 to 8 days (ranging from 2 to 12 days). Characteristic signs of Chikungunya include sudden high fever, stiff joints, arthritis, headache, fatigue, and a rash. Medical experts advise people to seek immediate medical attention at the nearest healthcare facility if they experience any suspicious symptoms, to avoid unwanted complications.
One of the biggest outbreaks occurred in the Guangdong region of China, particularly in the city of Foshan.
Experts analyze the spread of Chikungunya as a result of a complex combination of factors. Firstly, climate change plays a key role, as warmer weather and prolonged periods of unusual rainfall create favorable conditions for Aedes mosquitoes to breed and thrive.
Experts analyze this as a consequence of unfavorable conditions such as prolonged stormy weather, crowded urban systems, and very low levels of community immunity to the chikungunya virus.
Secondly, rapid urbanization with high population density and poorly controlled sanitation systems creates an ideal environment for the virus to spread. Finally, low community immunity in areas that had never previously recorded outbreaks allows the virus to spread rapidly.
Given this situation, strengthening disease prevention and control measures is extremely urgent, including mosquito eradication campaigns, environmental sanitation, and raising public awareness.
