AREAS AFFECTED:

Areas of heightened disease reporting: LO HI

Chikungunya

Spread By Mosquitos

Data Source For Areas Affected

The maps designate countries considered to be affected by a disease. Areas within countries may or may not be affected by a specific disease. Consult with a Travel Healthcare Provider or www.cdc.gov/travel about your specific itinerary prior to travel.

Reporting activity data are provided by Sitata and derived from numerous sources, including official surveillance data and news reports. Reporting activity does not reflect current risk of infection with a disease. Not all areas report cases of disease; therefore, the absence of activity on the map does not indicate that a disease is not present. The relationship between the intensity of reporting activity and actual disease transmission is unknown and does not indicate a difference in risk. Maps do not reflect differential distribution of diseases within a country.

What Is It?

Chikungunya is a viral disease spread by the same mosquitos that spread the dengue and Zika viruses.

Chikungunya is an arthritic disease, commonly associated with joint pain and stiffening. It re-emerged in 2005 and subsequently spread globally. Often found in the same tropical environments as dengue and Zika, chikungunya has also caused outbreaks in more temperate environments, such as southern Europe. There is only one virus known to cause chikungunya disease.

How is it Acquired?

Chikungunya virus is spread by the same mosquitos that spread the dengue and Zika viruses.

A single encounter with an infected mosquito is all that is needed to become sick with chikungunya. The mosquitos that spread chikungunya prefer to live in and around human residences, and bite throughout the day.

Chikungunya virus can spread in more rural and temperate environments where the Aedes aegypti and Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, are abundant.

Factors that increase the likelihood of developing a severe form of the disease include:

  • Chronic arthritis
  • Chronic medical conditions (eg, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease)
  • Older age (≥65 years)
  • Pregnancy

Signs and Symptoms

Chikungunya is an arthritic disease.

Most people experience symptoms, which include:

  • Joint pains and stiffness
  • Body pains
  • Fever
  • Sometimes rash

Chikungunya is rarely fatal.

Most of the time, people begin to feel better within a couple of weeks. Sometimes, however, the illness can cause long-lasting joint stiffness, fatigue, and depression.

Precautions to Take

There is no vaccine for chikungunya available to travelers.

Talk to a travel healthcare provider about how to avoid mosquito bites by the mosquitos that transmit chikungunya, dengue, and Zika. Some options include:

  • Staying in buildings that have window and door screens to help keep mosquitos out
  • Using air conditioning
  • Using mosquito repellent on bare skin
  • Treating clothes and shoes with mosquito repellent
  • Wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts, socks, and shoes

There is no vaccine for chikungunya available to travelers.

Check out the Mosquito Protection Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the American Mosquito Control Association for more information.

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