High number of chikungunya cases reported among travellers returning from Seychelles: local transmission in mainland Europe currently unlikely

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Source: ECDC News

Original: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-events/high-number-chikungunya-cases-reported...

Published: Fri, 27 Feb 2026 09:45:20 +0100

As of November 2025, ten European countries have reported more than 70 cases of chikungunya among travelers returning from Seychelles[1]. The case concerns imported infections, i.e. cases that were transferred from an area with the occurrence of the disease to Europe by travelers. According to available data from 2025, a total of 445,271 suspected and confirmed cases of chikungunya were reported globally, with 155 deaths[1]. In Europe, local transmissions have only been reported in France and Italy, with France reporting 479 cases divided into 54 clusters and Italy 205 locally acquired cases[1]. The French overseas territory of La Réunion recorded the highest number of cases in the European region with 54,517 confirmed cases and 40 deaths by September 2025[1]. Local transmission in continental Europe remains unlikely, as most cases in European countries are imported infections from travellers[1].