Chikungunya continues to spread in the Caribbean

Chikungunya fever continues to spread rapidly in the Caribbean region. The following countries have reported a variable number of cases of this infection:

Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Guadeloupe (more than 10,000 cases), Haiti (reports of cases are increasing rapidly with more than 600 cases in just 1 week), Martinique (heavily affected with almost 22,000 reported cases), St Barthelemy, St Martin, Anguilla, Antiga and Barbuda, Aruba, Dominica (more than 1,250 reported cases), St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, St Maarten, and the British Virgin Islands.

There is a report of a single case from the state of Amapá, Brazil, in a traveller returning from French Guiana.

Chikungunya virus infections may have long lasting health consequences. Travellers to areas where chikungunya fever virus is active can reduce their risk of exposure to this virus by taking all necessary precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Many persons with chikungunya fever do not seek medical care and are not reported to health authorities. There may be many more cases in the community that are not reported.