Chikungunya in Americas - summary

The following countries are reporting continuing transmission of the chikungunya virus:

Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala , Honduras (over 13,000 cases), Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia (more than 18,000 cases and 11 deaths), Ecuador, Argentina.

The number of cases reported by the various countries is highly variable ranging from several hundred infected people to several thousand. Many persons with chikungunya fever do not seek medical care and are not reported to health authorities. This may account for the low numbers of reported cases in many countries. There may be many more cases in the community that are not reported.

Advice

All 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. Chikungunya virus infections may have long lasting health consequences.