The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning that the chikungunya virus could soon lead to a major global outbreak, urging immediate action to prevent its spread.
WHO expert Dr. Diana Rojas Alvarez stated that chikungunya has already been reported in 119 countries and poses a risk to 5.6 billion people worldwide. She noted that the virus had previously caused a major outbreak in 2004–2005, affecting over 500,000 people after spreading from islands in the Indian Ocean.
According to WHO, large outbreaks have already been reported in early 2025 in regions like Réunion, Mayotte, and Mauritius, with one-third of Réunion’s population at risk.
Chikungunya symptoms are similar to dengue and Zika virus, which can make diagnosis difficult. The virus is now spreading in parts of Africa, South Asia, and even Europe. Imported cases have been reported in France, where local transmission is confirmed, and suspected cases have emerged in Italy.
WHO has called on global health authorities to take urgent steps to prevent another large-scale outbreak.
