Mainland France Confirms Another Chikungunya Case

With all eyes focused on the ongoing Chikungunya outbreak in the Indian Ocean, particularly in France's Departments of Mayotte and Réunion, attention has turned to the first indigenous case in metropolitan France in 2025.

According to a press release from Public Health France, this case was reported on June 11, 2025, in the commune of La Crau (Var), located in southern France.

In 2017, two local cases of Chikungunya were confirmed in the Var Department.

During 2024, one local case was reported in Île-de-France (Paris).

An indigenous (local) case is when a person contracted the disease on national territory and did not travel to a contaminated area in the 15 days preceding the onset of symptoms.

As a reminder, the Chikungunya virus, similar to Dengue and Zika viruses, is transmitted from person to person through the bite of a mosquito (tiger mosquito). Dengue and Zika cases have also been confirmed in France.

As of June 14, 2025, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains a Level 2 Travel Health Advisory for the Indian Ocean region, which includes Réunion, Mayotte, Mauritius, Somalia, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives to the northeast. 

Two approved Chikungunya vaccines are commercially available at travel clinics and pharmacies in the United States for the prevention of the disease. The CDC recommends vaccination for international travelers visiting areas with an outbreak.