Aug. 14 (UPI) — The number of travel-related cases of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne viral infection, has nearly tripled in England during the first six months of the year compared to the same period last year, British health officials said Thursday.
According to the latest data from the UK Health Security Agency, there have been 73 cases of the virus reported in England between January and June. During the same period in 2024, there were only 27 cases.
The health agency said the 73 cases is the highest number recorded in this period to date.
The majority of the infected patients had reported traveling to Sri Lanka, India and Mauritius, where there were infections associated with outbreaks in Indian Ocean countries, it said.
Chikungunya is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. Severe symptoms and death associated with the virus are rare, but can occur in babies and the elderly, especially those with serious health problems, according to the World Health Organization.
Despite its lack of fatality, the disease can still cause fever and joint pain, which the World Health Organization says can be debilitating and prolonged.
Other symptoms include joint swelling, muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash. Two vaccines have been approved for use in several countries, including Britain.
“Chikungunya can be a nasty disease and we’re seeing a worrying increase in cases among travelers returning to the UK,” Dr. Philip Veal, consultant in Public Health at UKHSA, said in a statement.
“While this mosquito-borne infection is rarely fatal, it can causes severe joint and muscle pain, headaches, sensitivity to light and skin rashes. Thankfully, symptoms usually improve within a few weeks, but joint pain may last for months or longer.”
According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, as of July, there have been 240,000 cases of the virus so far this year and 90 deaths in 16 countries.
France has tested positive for 30 cases and Italy for one. However, France’s Reunion Island — located in the Indian Ocean, to the east of Madagascar — is battling an epidemic of the virus.
The Pacific Community, the principal scientific and technical organization supporting development in the Pacific region, said in a statement that the small island has confirmed 54,410 cases of the virus, including 28 deaths, so far this year.
“Health authorities are urging heightened vigilance for travelers to La Reunion,” SPC said, “visitors are advised to take preventive measures against mosquito bites, including the use of insect repellent, wearing long-sleeved clothing and staying in accommodations with screened windows or air conditioning.”
Earlier this month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel warning for Americans thinking of visiting southern China over an outbreak of chikungunya there.
The CDC states there are outbreaks in Bolivia, China’s Guangdong Province, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, Somalia and Sri Lanka.