Réunion chikungunya epidemic: 3,000 additional cases, death toll rises to 12
In a follow-up on the chikungunya epidemic on La Reunion Island, health officials reported an additional 3,079 confirmed cases during the week ending May 4, bringing the total to more than 47,500 confirmed cases of indigenous chikungunya since the beginning of the year.
Since the beginning of the year, 12 deaths occurring between weeks 11 and 17 have been classified as chikungunya-related (10 directly and 2 indirectly related) by the committee responsible for assessing causation.
These deaths occurred in people over 70 years of age (range: 71-95 years) with comorbidities (mainly chronic conditions). Twenty-eight other deaths are currently under investigation (elderly and comorbid) for chikungunya-related causes, including one neonatal death.
Surveillance indicators in emergency departments and primary care were beginning to decline.
This trend will be confirmed in the coming weeks due to a public holiday (May 1st) and the start of school vacation. Nevertheless, the epidemic is still active, with disparities across regions.
Regarding emergency department visits for chikungunya, a decrease is visible for both the adult and pediatric populations. Looking at the distribution of visits by hospital, three sectors (South, West, and North) are beginning to show a more or less recent decrease, while the East is experiencing a resurgence between week 17 and week 18.
The impact of hospitalizations is still observed among vulnerable individuals, infants, the elderly, people with chronic illnesses, and pregnant women, in whom the disease can be serious.
However, the initial downward trends emerging in epi week 18 must be interpreted with caution and monitored in the coming weeks to confirm the epidemic dynamics.
Increased risk that cases infected in Réunion will lead to the establishment of an indigenous transmission chain in mainland France (beginning of the most favorable period for mosquito vector activity in mainland France).
Since January 1, 2025, 766 imported cases of chikungunya have been identified in mainland France. Of these cases, nearly 97% came from Réunion, or 742 cases.
The other 24 imported cases returned from a stay in one of the following countries: Mauritius, Sri Lanka, India, and Indonesia.