Winter Olympics 2026 Chikungunya and Dengue Concerns De Minimis

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has reported a clean bill of health for the ongoing Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, with no major communicable disease incidents detected in the early days of the event.

In its Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) for Week 6, published on February 6, 2026, the ECDC emphasized its active monitoring of the Games, which are considered a major mass gathering. The Winter Olympics organizers expect cumulative attendance to exceed one million people.

According to the new CDTR, no significant public health events related to communicable diseases have been identified since, and it has assessed the overall risk as low, stating: "The probability of EU/EEA citizens contracting communicable diseases during the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games 2026 is low if general preventive measures are applied."

This reassuring update comes amidst a broader winter circulation of respiratory viruses across the EU/EEA, including influenza.

However, the ECDC and Italian authorities have also been tracking vector-borne diseases, such as Dengue fever and chikungunya.

In recent years, these diseases have become more prevalent across Europe, including Italy, due to climate and travel.

In 2025, Italy's national surveillance reported a limited number of locally acquired Dengue cases. By late November, the ECDC's seasonal surveillance indicated four local cases in Italy, along with 29 cases in France and two in Portugal.

As of early 2026, no local Dengue cases have been reported in mainland Europe.

Regarding chikungunya, Italy experienced more significant local transmission in 2025, with national surveillance recording 453 confirmed cases from January to November. This included 385 local infections across several regions, primarily Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Tuscany, and Basilicata.

By early 2026, seasonal weather changes and control efforts seemed to have halted local transmission. This aligns with the ECDC's assessment that the chikungunya and Dengue clusters in Italy are now considered closed.

As of February 9, 2026, the ECDC, Italy, and the United States government are monitoring the situation during the Olympics and into the Paralympics.

From a disease-prevention standpoint, these organizations recommend that international travelers consult with travel vaccine advisors about immunization options before visiting at-risk areas.