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What is chikungunya?

A mosquito-borne viral disease

Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease primarily transmitted by two species of mosquito: Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti. The chikungunya virus (CHIKV) was first isolated during a Tanzanian outbreak in 1952 and has since spread globally, with expected increases in global transmission risk.1,2

The disease is characterised by acute and chronic phases:

  • Acute phase: Approximately 65–85% of infected individuals develop acute symptoms, which usually start 3–7 days post bite, and resolve on their own within 7–10 days. Common acute symptoms include sudden high fever, joint pain, muscle pain, headache, nausea, and vomiting.3
  • Chronic phase: Around 43% of those infected may develop chronic chikungunya, characterised by arthritis and/or fatigue, with potentially debilitating impacts lasting months to years. Up to 78.6% of cases may experience persistent muscle and joint symptoms.3-5

Chikungunya can significantly affect quality of life, leading to physical, social, and psychological burdens for chronic sufferers. This can include pain, impairment of daily life, depression, impaired ability to work, musculoskeletal symptoms, impaired physical fitness, self-perceived decline in quality of life, mental distress, and sleep disorders.4-8

Chikungunya epidemiology

Identified in over 110 countries

Chikungunya has been identified in over 110 countries. Approximately 75% of the world’s population is estimated to live in areas at risk of chikungunya, including the Americas, parts of Africa, and Southeast Asia. From January to March 2025, about 80,000 cases and 46 deaths were reported globally, with Brazil alone recording 71,587 cases. Underreporting means the true incidence and risk may be higher. Outbreaks were reported in the Indian Ocean region (Mauritius, Mayotte, La Réunion, Somalia, Sri Lanka) as of May 2025. 9-13

Chikungunya transmission (current or previous as of December 2024)14

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In Europe, chikungunya was reported in 19 countries between 2018 and 2022, with 846 cases reported in the UK. In 2022, most cases were likely imported from Asia and South America. The UK reported 112 cases in 2024, more than double the number in 2023.

Climate change is predicted to shift and expand the reach of mosquitoes, and increased rates of overseas travel and tourism from the UK also impact the global spread of chikungunya.1,2,15,16

References

  1. Tjaden NB, Cheng Y, Beierkuhnlein C, Thomas SM. 'Chikungunya beyond the tropics: where and when do we expect disease transmission in Europe?' Viruses. 2021;13(6):1024.
  2. Ryan SJ, Carlson CJ, Mordecai EA, Johnson LR. Global expansion and redistribution of Aedesborne virus transmission risk with climate change. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2019;13(3):e0007213.
  3. Staples JE, Hill SL, Powers AM. CDC Yellow Book 2026. Chikungunya. Available at:
    https://www.cdc.gov/yellow-book/hcp/travel-associated-infections-diseases/chikungunya.html. Accessed September 2025.
  4. Paixão ES, Rodrigues LC, Costa M, Itaparica M, Barreto F, Gérardin P, et al. Chikungunya chronic disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2018;112(7):301-16.
  5. Essackjee K, Goorah S, Ramchurn SK, Cheeneebash J, Walker-Bone K. Prevalence of and risk factors for chronic arthralgia and rheumatoid-like polyarthritis more than 2 years after infection with chikungunya virus. Postgrad Med J. 2013;89(1054):440–7.
  6. Ramachandran V, Malaisamy M, Ponnaiah M, Kaliaperuaml K, Vadivoo S, Gupte MD. Impact of Chikungunya on health related quality of life Chennai, South India. PLoS One. 2012;7(12):e51519.
  7. Silva MMO, Kikuti M, Anjos RO, Portilho MM, Santos VC, Gonçalves TSF, et al. Risk of chronic arthralgia and impact of pain on daily activities in a cohort of patients with chikungunya virus infection from Brazil. Int J Infect Dis. 2021;105:608-16.
  8. Simon F, Ferraro J, Javelle E, Marimoutou C. Chikungunya infection: six years after, rheumatic morbidity and impaired quality of life persist! BMC Infectious Diseases. 2014;14(2):O21
  9. World Health Organization. Chikungunya. Available at: https://www.who.int/health-topics/chikungunya. Accessed September 2025.
  10. Puntasecca CJ, King CH, LaBeaud AD. Measuring the global burden of chikungunya and Zika viruses: A systematic review. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2021;15(3):e0009055.
  11. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Chikungunya virus disease worldwide overview. Available at: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/chikungunya-monthly. Accessed September 2025.
  12. Zurbia-Flores GM, Reyes-Sandoval A, Kim YC. Chikungunya virus: priority pathogen or passing trend? Vaccines (Basel). 2023;11(3):568.
  13. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Areas at risk for chikungunya. August 2025. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/data-maps/index.html. Accessed September 2025.
  14. World Health Organization. Global chikungunya epidemiology update. June 2025. Available at:  https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/documents/epp/ezh/chikungunya-epidemiology-update_11june2025.pdf. Accessed September 2025.
  15. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Chikungunya virus disease – Annual Epidemiological Report for 2022. June 2024. Available at: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/CHIK_AER_2022_report.pdf. Accessed September 2025.
  16. UK Health Security Agency. Travel-associated infections in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: 2024. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/travel-associated-infections/travel-associated-infections-in-england-wales-and-northern-ireland-2024#chikungunya. Accessed September 2025.

View prescribing information for
IXCHIQ® powder and solvent for solution for injection. Chikungunya vaccine (live)

Adverse events should be reported.
Reporting forms and information can be found at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. Adverse events should also be reported to the Valneva UK Ltd Medical Information department on Tel: 01506 446608 or via email: safety@valneva.com

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