Six people have died from chikungunya on the French overseas department of Réunion Island since the start of the year, health officials confirmed on Wednesday. The mosquito-borne virus has infected more than 33,000 people on the island so far.
The deaths, between 10 and 30 March, were of people aged over 70 with underlying health conditions, the latest bulletin from France’s public health agency, Santé Publique France said.
The agency also said that several other deaths were being investigated to determine whether the virus was a factor.
An epidemic was declared on Réunion Island on 13 January, following a surge in cases that began in August 2024.
Health officials linked the outbreak to rising mosquito numbers during the summer and low immunity levels in the island’s population of around 900,000.
Health officials say the situation remains serious, despite some early signs of improvement.
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Spread by mosquitoes
Chikungunya is spread by Aedes mosquitoes and causes fever, a rash and joint pain. It can be particularly dangerous for older people, pregnant women, babies and those with chronic illnesses.
Since January, more than 33,000 cases have been confirmed by lab testing and more than 91,000 medical consultations have been recorded.
In the week from 31 March to 6 April, a total of 4,913 new cases were confirmed, down from nearly 6,300 the week before.
SPF said indicators were beginning to decline in local clinics and emergency departments, but warned that two more weeks of monitoring were needed to confirm whether the peak had passed.
The southern part of the island has been the worst affected. Emergency visits at CHU Sud, the main hospital in the south of the island, fell by 22 percent in early April.
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Emergency protocol
So far this year, 224 people have been hospitalised for more than 24 hours, including 196 where chikungunya was the reason for admission. A quarter of those patients were babies under six months old and 46 percent were people aged over 65.
In total, 41 cases have been classed as serious.
The “plan blanc” emergency protocol, which allows hospitals to free up resources and staff in response to a crisis, has been in place at the island’s main hospital since 4 April.
A vaccination campaign began on 7 April, offering free doses to people aged 65 and over with chronic health conditions. The vaccine in use is Ixchiq.
“Some 2,200 people got vaccinated in three days. This is not satisfactory,” said Gérard Cotellon, head of the island’s regional health agency, told FranceInfo.
At least 50,000 additional doses are expected to arrive on the island by the end of April.
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Imported cases
This is the first major outbreak of chikungunya in Réunion Island since 2010. A previous epidemic in 2005 and 2006 infected around 260,000 people and led to 225 deaths.
There is no specific treatment for chikungunya and most people recover in about a week, although some experience joint pain that can last for weeks or months.
Since the start of the year, 262 imported cases have been identified in mainland France in people who had travelled from Réunion Island.
Health authorities continue to urge residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites and to remove standing water where mosquitoes can breed.
