Chikungunya Reunion

About Chikungunya Reunion

A massive chikungunya outbreak occurred on Reunion Island in 2005 to 2006. Approximately 266,000 of the roughly 770,000 residents were estimated to have been infected, approximately one third of the population. Chikungunya virus is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. The disease causes fever and severe joint pain that can persist for months or years. The Reunion outbreak was notable because the virus had adapted to Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, which is more widely distributed globally than Aedes aegypti. A mutation in the viral envelope protein enhanced transmission by Ae albopictus. Over 200 deaths were associated with the outbreak, which also caused significant economic losses. Chikungunya subsequently spread to India, Italy, and the Caribbean. Italy experienced autochthonous chikungunya transmission in 2007, the first in Europe. A chikungunya vaccine, IXCHIQ, was licensed by the FDA in 2023, the first for the disease, though its US licence was suspended in 2025 over safety concerns. Climate change is expanding the range of Aedes mosquitoes, raising concerns about further chikungunya spread.