UK Chikungunya Cases Rise 43% to 160 in 2025

The UK Health Security Agency has urged travelers to take precautions against mosquito-borne diseases ahead of the Easter holiday and spring travel season, following a sharp rise in chikungunya cases among those returning from abroad. The agency's latest report, released this week, recorded 160 chikungunya infections in 2025 across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, a 43 percent increase from the 112 cases in 2024 and the highest annual total since 2014.

All reported cases were linked to international travel, with the majority involving trips to Sri Lanka, where 75 infections originated, followed by India with 17 cases and Bangladesh with 16. Of the total, 159 occurred in England, including 56 in London, and one in Wales. Officials noted that infections peaked between April and September, aligning with the timing of upcoming spring breaks. The World Health Organization has reported significant chikungunya outbreaks in 2025, particularly in countries across the Indian Ocean region, contributing to the global uptick.

Chikungunya, spread by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, causes sudden fever often accompanied by severe joint pain, muscle aches, headaches, nausea,...