(Vax-Before-Travel News)
In conjunction with the Regional Health Agencies (ARS) and mosquito control operators, Public Health France recently updated that indigenous (local) transmissions of the Chikungunya virus have been identified in mainland France.
As of July 22, 2025, 38 Chikungunya cases have been confirmed in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Corsica, Occitanie, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions, which were already affected in previous years, and for the first time in the Grand Est and Nouvelle-Aquitaine regions.
Public Health France reiterates that the number of transmission hotspots illustrates the significant risk of indigenous transmission of these viruses in mainland France. Additional cases are likely to be identified, including those outside the usual transmission areas.
Additionally, since May 1, 2025, 833 imported cases of Chikungunya have been confirmed; many of these travelers had visited the French departments of Réunion and Mayotte.
Currently, the U.S. CDC’s Level 2 – Practice Enhanced Precautions, Chikungunya Travel Health Advisory does not include southern France. However, the CDC recommends vaccination for many travelers before visiting areas with Chikungunya outbreaks.
According to recent research, preventing Chikungunya infections is essential.
Published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases on June 16, 2025, this study provides the first evidence that the chikungunya virus directly infects chondrocytes, the cells responsible for producing cartilage and may contribute to chronic musculoskeletal diseases by affecting the function of cartilage cells.
In the United States, as in Europe, two Chikungunya vaccines have been approved and are commercially available.