After 10-Year Absence, French Guiana Reports Local Chikungunya Cases

Health authorities in French Guiana, an overseas department of France located on the northeast coast of South America, have confirmed the re-emergence of local Chikungunya transmission for the first time since 2015.

The initial case was identified in a resident of Kourou by the French Guiana Regional Health Agency through RT-PCR testing on January 27, 2026.

This case was classified as locally acquired, meaning the patient contracted the virus from a mosquito bite in French Guiana, without having recently traveled to affected areas like Brazil. Subsequent investigations have revealed three additional confirmed cases.

The virus strain detected in these cases is genetically similar to the one currently circulating across parts of the Americas, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), which issued an epidemiological alert on February 10, 2026.

The alert noted the resumption of transmission in the Guiana Shield region—including Guyana, French Guiana, and Suriname.

The PAHO has urged heightened preparedness across the Americas amid rising chikungunya activity in several countries since late 2025. The reappearance of local transmission in areas long free of the Chikungunya virus underscores the risk posed by ongoing viral activity in neighboring countries and the potential for imported cases to spark outbreaks

This resurgence aligns with broader regional trends in 2025.

PAHO data indicate sustained increases in chikungunya cases in parts of South America and the Caribbean since late 2025, even as overall regional numbers have declined compared to the peaks in 2024.

The situation is under close monitoring by French health authorities and international partners, with no reports of severe complications or large-scale outbreaks at this stage.

However, in central South America, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified parts of Bolivia as experiencing an ongoing chikungunya outbreak.

Currently, the CDC says there is no specific antiviral treatment; management focuses on symptom relief, and prevention relies on mosquito control and personal protective measures such as repellents, long clothing, and eliminating breeding sites.

Travelers to the region are encouraged by the PAHO and other agencies to consult health guidelines and consider protective measures, such as vaccination, before visiting the Guiana Shield region as of February 16, 2026.