Is Chikungunya Virus the Next COVID?

US CDC considers travel notice for China as chikungunya cases rise, Bloomberg News reports

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is planning to issue a travel notice for China as mosquito-borne chikungunya infections rise in the country, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday.

"CDC is aware of the reported chikungunya outbreak in Guangdong Province in China and is currently assessing the size and extent of the outbreak," a CDC spokesperson told Bloomberg News.

The U.S. CDC did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

According to the Global Times newspaper, South China's Guangdong Province reported a total of 4,824 chikungunya cases as of July 26.

Chikungunya, which is spread primarily by Aedes mosquito species and has no specific treatment, can cause rapid and large outbreaks. As the mosquitoes bite in the daytime, prevention is key, through the use of insect repellent and long-sleeved clothing.

Earlier this month, the World Health Organization issued an urgent call for action to prevent a repeat of the 2004-2005 epidemic of chikungunya as new outbreaks linked to the Indian Ocean region spread to Europe and other continents.

The current surge began in early 2025, with major outbreaks in the same Indian Ocean islands which were previously hit, including La Reunion, Mayotte and Mauritius.

 (Reporting by Nilutpal Timsina and Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Chris Reese and Leroy Leo)

Information from the CDC:

About Chikungunya

- Chikungunya virus is spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito.

- Symptoms can include fever, joint pain, headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, and rash.

- There are no medicines to treat chikungunya virus disease (chikungunya).

- Vaccination is recommended for some travelers.

- Woman feeling sick and experiencing headache.

OverviewChikungunya virus is spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. Outbreaks have occurred in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. There is a risk the virus can spread to unaffected areas by infected travelers.

The most common symptoms of chikungunya are fever and joint pain. Other symptoms can include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash.

There are currently no medicines to treat chikungunya. The best way to prevent chikungunya is to protect yourself from mosquito bites. Vaccination is recommended for some travelers.

Reuters