PAHO warns of sustained increase in chikungunya cases

WASHINGTON – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has issued an alert following a sustained increase in chikungunya cases in several countries in the Americas since late 2025 and into early this year.

In Guyana, French Guiana, and Suriname, detections in 2025 and 2026 indicate the resumption of transmission after a decade without reported cases.

PAHO said that the alert also highlights the re-emergence of local transmission in areas that had not reported virus circulation in several years and that while this trend is consistent with expected patterns in areas where the Aedes aegypti mosquito vector is present, environmental factors such as extreme temperatures favour mosquito breeding.

“Chikungunya spread across the Americas in 2013, and after years of low transmission, we are now observing a resurgence, particularly in the Intertropical Zone where Aedes aegypti is present,” said Sylvain Aldighieri, PAHO’s Director of Communicable Diseases Prevention, Control, and Elimination.

“The purpose of this alert is to ensure that health workers and governments are prepared for potential outbreaks and can plan public information campaigns,” he added.

PAHO is recommending that countries strengthen epidemiological and laboratory surveillance to detect cases and outbreaks early, ensure proper clinical management–especially for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, children under one year of age, older adults, and people with underlying health conditions.

Chikungunya is a virus transmitted by Aedes aegypti and potentially Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which also spread dengue, Zika, and other arboviruses.

Infection can cause high fever and severe joint pain, often debilitating, along with muscle pain, headache, fatigue, nausea, and rash.

Chikungunya can also cause chronic joint pain, which may last from weeks to several months in about six per cent of cases.

PAHO said that there is no specific antiviral treatment and that acute symptoms are managed with analgesics and antipyretics. High-risk patients should be assessed by health professionals for potential hospitalisation and monitoring to prevent severe complications and fatalities.

PAHO said that last year, a total of 502 264 chikungunya cases were reported globally, including 208 335 confirmed cases and 186 deaths, across 41 countries and territories. In the Americas, 313 132 cases were reported, of which 113 926 were confirmed, including 170 deaths in 18 countries and one territory during 2025.

Regionally, total cases declined compared to 2024. However, several countries in South America and the Caribbean have reported increases in specific areas. Since late 2025, sustained rises have been observed in multiple countries and territories, including the re-establishment of local transmission in places that had been free of the virus for years. (CMC)

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