TRACKING EMERGING VIRUSES – October 18, 2025 – Chikungunya
“A resident of New York has contracted the state’s first known case of the mosquito-borne chikungunya disease acquired locally, officials said.
“The case in Nassau County marks the first time someone is believed to have contracted the virus locally; cases are typically diagnosed in people who have travelled to Africa, Asia, the Caribbean or Latin America. Local transmission can happen when a mosquito bites an infected recent traveler, becomes infected, and then bites a healthy person and passes the virus onto them. Humans can’t spread it to each other, except in extreme cases such as blood transfusions or handling infected blood.” (1)
“The announcement marks the first locally acquired case reported in any U.S. state or territory since 2019, and the first reported in any U.S. state since 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”
State health officials said the “precise source of exposure is not known,” though it confirmed the case was acquired locally “based on current information.”
Chikungunya is rarely fatal, but it often causes severe joint pain and a fever. Other symptoms include headaches, muscle pain, joint swelling or rashes.
Symptoms typically subside within a week, but joint pain can linger for months in some
The CDC says people can contract the virus if they’re bitten by an infected mosquito. When a mosquito bites an infected person, that mosquito becomes infected and can then spread the virus to other people. People rarely spread the virus to other people.
Chikungunya cases have surged worldwide this year, in particular in the Americas. China has seen its largest outbreak since the virus was first reported there in 2008.” (2)
“The chikungunya virus was first identified in people sickened during an outbreak in Tanzania in 1952. Its name is derived from a word in the Makonde language, which means “that which bends up,” due to the severe pain it can cause.”
“There is no specific treatment for chikungunya, but health workers can treat the symptoms by giving medicines to lower fevers or ease muscle pain.
Two vaccines have been approved in several regions, including Britain, Brazil, Canada and Europe. Those are mostly targeted at travelers and are not widely available in the countries most affected by chikungunya.”
“Chikungunya causes regular outbreaks in Africa, Asia and the Americas, with occasional
As of August, there have been about 317,000 cases of chikungunya this year, including 135 deaths in 16 countries and territories, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The countries that reported the highest number of infections were Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina and Peru.” (3)
“Chinese authorities are using nets, spraying insecticide and even deploying drones to fight the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus, which has infected thousands of people.
Authorities had reported more than 7,000 cases of the virus as of Wednesday, mostly in the southern Chinese manufacturing hub of Foshan, some 170 kilometers (105 miles) from Hong Kong. The number of new cases appears to be dropping slowly, according to authorities.” (4)
1.Unusual mosquito-borne chikungunya virus case reported in US, by Jeanine Santucci, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/10/15/chikungunya-virus-mosquito-new-york/86706056007/
2.First locally acquired chikungunya case confirmed in New York, by Sarah Fortinsky, https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5556504-new-york-chikungunya-case/
3.6 things to know about the chikungunya virus and its transmission in the U.S., By Associated Press, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/6-things-to-know-about-the-chikungunya-virus-and-its-transmission-in-the-u-s
4.China fights mosquito-borne chikungunya virus with drones, fines and nets as thousands fall ill, https://apnews.com/article/china-chikungunya-virus-outbreak-control-measures-3ee97c21152b05ed0912af646594eafd
curated by Jonathan M. Metsch, Dr.P.H.
Clinical Professor of Environmental Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai