WHO sounds global alarm over Chikungunya virus threat, warns of impending epidemic

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark warning about the growing threat of a global chikungunya virus epidemic, urging swift international action to prevent a repeat of the devastating 2004–2005 outbreak. The alert was sounded during a press briefing in Geneva on July 22, amid rising transmission rates in the Indian Ocean region and emerging cases in Europe and South Asia.

Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral illness that induces high fever and intense joint pain, symptoms that can be both debilitating and, in some instances, fatal, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The WHO’s current concern stems from a rapid increase in cases in locations such as Réunion, Mayotte, and Mauritius—territories that were also severely impacted during the previous major epidemic.

"Chikungunya is not a disease that is widely known, but it has been detected and transmitted in 119 countries globally, putting 5.6 billion people at risk," said Diana Rojas Alvarez, WHO’s lead on arboviral diseases. "Today, WHO is seeing the same pattern emerge: since the beginning of 2025, Reunion, Mayotte and Mauritius have all reported major chikungunya outbreaks. One-third of the population of Reunion is estimated to have been infected already."

Rojas Alvarez drew parallels between the current situation and the 2004–2005 epidemic that began in the Indian Ocean region before expanding globally, affecting nearly half a million people. She noted that current transmission patterns are eerily reminiscent of that outbreak, prompting the organization to act early.

"Because these patterns of transmission were seen in the outbreak from 2004 onwards, WHO is calling for urgent action to prevent history from repeating itself," she warned. “We are raising the alarm early so countries can prepare early, detect and strengthen all the capacities to avoid going through very large outbreaks."

The virus has already spread beyond the Indian Ocean region to parts of East Africa and South Asia. "Like 20 years ago, the virus was now spreading to other places in the region, such as Madagascar, Somalia and Kenya. Epidemic transmission is also occurring in south Asia," Rojas Alvarez said.

In Europe, imported cases linked to outbreaks in the Indian Ocean have been reported. France has documented instances of local transmission, and suspected cases have surfaced in Italy, indicating that the virus is already penetrating temperate zones.

The WHO noted that chikungunya’s symptoms resemble those of dengue and Zika, complicating accurate diagnosis. The virus is primarily transmitted to humans by infected female Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes—the latter known as the tiger mosquito, which is expanding its range northward due to climate change.

Rojas Alvarez emphasized the serious public health risks in regions where populations have low immunity to the virus. "In regions where populations have little or no immunity, the virus can quickly cause significant epidemics, affecting up to three-quarters of the population," she said.

Despite a case fatality rate of less than one percent, the consequences of widespread infection could be severe. "When you start counting millions of cases, that one percent can be thousands" of deaths, Rojas Alvarez cautioned.

In light of these risks, the WHO is calling on governments and communities to intensify surveillance, strengthen healthcare infrastructure, and promote personal protective measures such as mosquito repellent and eliminating stagnant water sources

By Vafa Guliyeva