WHO urges action as mosquito-borne chikungunya spreads
The World Health Organization has released an emergency action to prevent the recurrence of a epidemic of Chikununa virus, which swept the world twenty years ago, as new outbreaks of the Indian Ocean region spread to Europe and other continents.
Diana Rojas Alvarez, a medical officer, told journalists in Geneva, in 119 countries at risk of virus, 5.6 billion people live, which may cause high fever, joint pain and long -term disability.
Iz We see that history has repeated itself, dedi he said parallel to the 2004-2005 epidemic, and before spreading to the world, it affected about half a million people in the small island regions.
At the beginning of 2025, the current fluctuation began with great outbreaks on the same Indian Ocean Islands, including Reunion, Mayotte and Mauritius.
Rojas Alvarez said that one -third of the Reunion population is already infected. The virus is now spreading to countries such as Madagascar, Somalia and Kenya and has shown an epidemic in Southeast Asia, including India.
In particular, the number of cases imported, worrying and local contamination in Europe.
Rojas Alvarez said that there have been about 800 imported Chikungunia case since May 1 in Continental France.
Twelve local transmission departments were identified in several southern French regions, ie individuals were infected by local mosquitoes without traveling to endemic regions. A case was also identified last week in Italy.
Chikungunia, which is not a specific treatment and primarily transmissions of Dang and Zika, can cause rapid and large outbreaks spread by AEDES mosquito species, including “Tiger Mosquito”. Mosquitoes are the key to the use of insect repellent and long -sleeved clothes when bites during the day.
