You might not have heard of chikungunya, but unfortunately, you might soon. According to the World Health Organization, this mosquito-borne virus is staging a major comeback, and its potential for global havoc is, frankly, terrifying.
Chikungunya (pronounced “chick-un-goon-ya”) causes fever, debilitating joint pain, and in rare cases, death. It’s been lurking in for years, but now the WHO is seeing early warning signs that eerily resemble the run-up to a significant 2004–2005 outbreak that hit a series of small islands across the Indian Ocean hard.
This time around, islands such as Réunion, Mayotte, and Mauritius are already experiencing major outbreaks. In Réunion alone, a third of the population may already be infected. The virus is also marching steadily through Madagascar, Somalia, Kenya, and parts of South Asia. It’s even creeping toward Europe as France has confirmed local transmission, and Italy has reported suspected cases.
What is Chikungunya?
Chikungunya is spread by the tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), which, thanks to climate change, is steadily expanding its range farther north than usual. These bugs bite during the day, especially in the morning and late afternoon, and they’re not picky about who they snack on.
To make things worse, chikungunya symptoms mimic dengue and Zika, making diagnosis tricky. And while the disease’s fatality rate hovers under 1 percent, once you’re talking millions of cases, that math adds up to thousands of lives lost.
The WHO isn’t hiding its panic. WHO representatives want countries to start prepping now, from surveillance systems to mosquito control. They’re issuing the warning now so that nobody has the excuse to claim they were blindsided by it later.
For now, there’s not a whole lot you, the average person, can do other than maybe stock up on mosquito repellent and make sure there’s no standing water around your home. The disease hasn’t reached North America yet, as far as anyone is aware, but it is the middle of summer, typically the time when mosquitoes feast on our exposed flesh.
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