India - United Kingdom Travelers Infected with Chikungunya

In 2023, after the world reopened to international travel, residents of the United Kingdom made 86.2 million trips abroad, marking a 21% increase compared to 2022.

Unfortunately, many travelers returned home carrying mosquito-borne diseases.

A new report published on March 27, 2025, by the Travel Health and International Health Regulations team in the Epidemic and Emerging Infections Directorate, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), summarises case numbers of selected travel-associated infections reported in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (EWNI).

This analysis includes the trends of chikungunya, cholera, dengue, rickettsial infections, and Zika virus disease in 2024.

For example, in EWNI, 112 chikungunya cases (105 in England, four in Wales, and three in Northern Ireland) were reported in 2024, nearly 1.5 times the number reported in 2023.

The most significant proportion of cases in England was reported in London (41%).

In 2024, travel history was known for most cases, with the majority of these reporting travel to Southern Asia (88 cases, 80%), followed by South-Eastern Asia (11 cases).

The most frequently reported country of travel for chikungunya cases was India (66 cases).

EWNI cases of people who traveled to India reported traveling to several regions, including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and Delhi.

"Before you travel, check the TravelHealthPro website for the latest health advice on your destination, including any recommended vaccinations," Dr. Philip Veal, Consultant in Public Health at the UK Health Security Agency, stated in a related media release.

"Even if you've been to a country before, remember that you don't have the same level of protection against infections as permanent residents and are still at risk."

Both the UKHSA and the U.S. CDC recommend that people visiting a Chikungunya outbreak area in 2025 speak with a travel vaccine expert about approved vaccination options available at travel clinics and pharmacies.

Previously, the U.S. CDC has published Travel Health Advisories to alert people to this mosquito-transmitted disease. For example, a Level 2 Advisory was issued in 2025, regarding the Chikungunya outbreak on France's Réunion island.

And various countries in the Region of the Americas (Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Mexico) have already reported Chikungunya cases in 2025.