Health warning issued on mosquito bites abroad amid rise in chikungunya cases
Virus cases rise among travellers returning to Britain
- UK health authorities have urged holidaymakers to take precautions against mosquito bites due to a significant rise in chikungunya virus cases among travellers returning to Britain.
- The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported 73 cases of chikungunya between January and June 2025, a notable increase from 27 cases in the same period last year, with most linked to travel to Sri Lanka, India, and Mauritius.
- Chikungunya, spread by mosquito bites, causes sudden fever and joint pain, though serious complications are rare and there is currently no risk of onward transmission within the UK.
- The UKHSA has also detected the first three cases of the oropouche virus in the UK, all associated with travel from Brazil, which is spread by midge bites and causes flu-like symptoms.
- Officials advise travellers to use insect repellent, cover skin, and consider insecticide-treated bed nets, while also noting a rise in travel-associated cholera cases and a decrease in dengue and zika cases.