Western Cuba Confirms Chikungunya Outbreak

While the Pan American Health Organization has reported over 200,000 Chikungunya cases in 2025, none were confirmed in the Republic of Cuba.

However, as of July 28, 2025, local media are reporting that the Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine has stated a Chikungunya outbreak has been reported in the España Republicana neighborhood of Matanzas municipality, specifically in the Perico area.

According to news from the CubaHeadlines, tests detected the mosquito-transmitted virus in several patient samples from the area.

Recently, Cuban authorities confirmed five critical dengue cases in Cuba.

This outbreak is of concern to Florida, which is located about 100 miles north of this area in Cuba.

"Florida's subtropical climate, abundant mosquito populations (notably Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus), and high volume of international travelers create conditions conducive to potential outbreaks, Duellyn Pandis, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, CTM®, AFTM RCPS(Glasg), FAANP, informed Vax-Before-Travel.

"As of July 2025, Florida has reported travel-related chikungunya cases, which pose a risk of local transmission if infected individuals are bitten by local mosquitoes, which can then spread the virus to others," added Bandis, President of Passport Health of Tampa Bay Travel Medicine Clinic.

As of mid-July, the Florida Department of Health had reported hundreds of travel-related Chikungunya, Dengue, and about 23 Malaria cases, many related to travelers from Cuba.

To increase Chikungunya infections, commercial laboratories began offering diagnostic tests in 2025.

And from a disease prevention perspective, two Chikungunya vaccines have been approved and are commercailly available in the United States.