Second Indigenous Case of Chikungunya Detected in Southern France
Health authorities report a new case in Hérault, prompting preventive measures in the region.
The regional health agency of Occitanie has reported a second indigenous case of chikungunya in metropolitan France, detected in Hérault.
This announcement was made on June 16, 2025. The first indigenous case of the year was confirmed just a week earlier in the Var region.
Since May 1, there have been 59 imported cases of chikungunya and 40 imported cases of dengue recorded in Occitanie.
The health agency stated that the health status of the affected individual does not raise concern.
To prevent the local spread of the virus, preventive measures are being implemented at frequented locations and suspected contamination sites in Prades-le-Lez.
The agency encourages individuals who have visited the area and have exhibited symptoms suggestive of chikungunya since the beginning of May to consult their primary healthcare provider.
Chikungunya is transmitted by the tiger mosquito, characterized primarily by sudden fever, often accompanied by severe joint pain, conjunctivitis, and skin rashes.
An indigenous case refers to an individual who contracts the disease within national territory without traveling to a contaminated area in the 15 days prior to symptom onset.
Only one indigenous case of chikungunya was recorded in metropolitan France in 2024 in the Île-de-France region, with none reported in 2023. Since 2010, there have been approximately thirty indigenous cases of this virus within the metropolitan area.
In 2025, the chikungunya epidemic has had a significant impact on the island of Réunion, with 23 reported deaths and an estimated 200,000 people infected since January.
Although the epidemic is on the decline in Réunion, it continues to circulate in Mayotte, another island in the Indian Ocean, where it emerged later.
The warmer temperatures currently affecting mainland France are conducive to increased activity of tiger mosquitoes, which are vectors for chikungunya, dengue, and Zika viruses.
This announcement was made on June 16, 2025. The first indigenous case of the year was confirmed just a week earlier in the Var region.
Since May 1, there have been 59 imported cases of chikungunya and 40 imported cases of dengue recorded in Occitanie.
The health agency stated that the health status of the affected individual does not raise concern.
To prevent the local spread of the virus, preventive measures are being implemented at frequented locations and suspected contamination sites in Prades-le-Lez.
The agency encourages individuals who have visited the area and have exhibited symptoms suggestive of chikungunya since the beginning of May to consult their primary healthcare provider.
Chikungunya is transmitted by the tiger mosquito, characterized primarily by sudden fever, often accompanied by severe joint pain, conjunctivitis, and skin rashes.
An indigenous case refers to an individual who contracts the disease within national territory without traveling to a contaminated area in the 15 days prior to symptom onset.
Only one indigenous case of chikungunya was recorded in metropolitan France in 2024 in the Île-de-France region, with none reported in 2023. Since 2010, there have been approximately thirty indigenous cases of this virus within the metropolitan area.
In 2025, the chikungunya epidemic has had a significant impact on the island of Réunion, with 23 reported deaths and an estimated 200,000 people infected since January.
Although the epidemic is on the decline in Réunion, it continues to circulate in Mayotte, another island in the Indian Ocean, where it emerged later.
The warmer temperatures currently affecting mainland France are conducive to increased activity of tiger mosquitoes, which are vectors for chikungunya, dengue, and Zika viruses.