PAHO warns of sporadic outbreaks of Chikungunya in the Caribbean

WASHINGTON, CMC – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says Chikungunya has been identified in nearly 115 countries, with seasonal or sporadic outbreaks in the Americas, including the Caribbean.

Chikungunya is a disease transmitted through the bite of female Aedes mosquitoes infected with the chikungunya virus.

The most common symptom is an abrupt onset of fever, often accompanied by joint pain that usually lasts for two weeks.

PAHO said experts met recently to discuss controlling the disease including ways to support countries to tackle a growing number of cases that reached more than 210,000 in the first months of 2023 in the Americas, including the Caribbean.

“While disease mortality is low, some patients experience debilitating pain that can last for as long as six months, affecting a person's ability to move, work and take care of herself or others,” PAHO said.

PAHO said the disease was first detected in the Americas in 2013 in St Martin and, a year later, it had spread to most countries in the region. 

It said over a million cases were detected in the first year following its introduction in the continent.

In the first four months of 2023, PAHO said increased Chikungunya circulation was detected in the region, with over 214,000 cases reported.

“What we see this year are changes in magnitude and timing. The epidemic is much earlier and with more cases than the past few years,” said Thais dos Santos, PAHO's adviser on Surveillance and Control of Arboviral Diseases.

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