The chikungunya epidemic has been decreasing for several weeks in Reunion, and increases in Mayotte. In mainland France, many cases have been detected since the start of the year, including 8 indigenous, a record.
The number of cases continues to increase disturbingly. The latest assessment published by Public Health France on June 25, 2025 reports 8 Aboriginal cases in France since the start of the year. “Such precocity in the activity season of the mosquito and such a high number of episodes had never been observed so far”, according to Public Health France. All cases were detected in 4 regions: Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur, Corsica, Occitanie and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. “Investigations and prevention and control measures are underway”, specifies the Institute.
The two cases detected in Corsica on the weekend of June 20 were announced by the Corsican Regional Health Agency on June 25. The two cases, detected on the weekend of June 20, concern two people from the same family living in the commune of Grossetto-Prugna. “The evolution of their state of health is not deemed disturbing,” reassures the ARS. This also specifies that “anti-label control actions were immediately triggered” in places “frequented by sick people”.
The second Aboriginal case of Chikungunya of the year in mainland France was detected in Hérault, in the town of Prades-le-Lez. Fortunately “the sick person’s state of health does not inspire any concern”, according to a press release from the Regional Health Agency (ARS) in Occitanie published on June 16, 2025.
The agency asked “people who have attended the town of Prades-le-Lez and having presented signs evocative from Chikungunya since early May, are invited to consult their attending physician”. These can be different symptoms: fever, joint and muscular pain, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, eyes pain, red pimples on the skin … A first indigenous case was detected on June 11, 2025 in the Var, according to the Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur.
Overall, the number of cases of chikungunya continues to increase in France. Since the beginning of the year, more than 1,560 cases have been detected in mainland France, including almost 650 since May 1, the start of the reinforced surveillance period. The previous two years, only thirty cases had been declared, with 0 or 1 Aboriginal case. The three most affected regions are: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Ile-de-France and Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
What are the latest figures for the epidemic in Reunion and Mayotte?
Chikungunya’s epidemic ends in Reunion but started in Mayotte. The territory passed in the epidemic phase on May 27, 2025, according to public health France. The institute indicates that “the circulation of chikungunya remains active with high intensity” in Mayotte. Nearly 1,000 cases have so far been detected, and no death has been reported.
In Reunion, a drop in epidemic indicators has been observed since the end of April. The epidemic is now “of low intensity”, even if the virus still circulates there and that “cases are still confirmed” according to the latest public health report France published on June 18. Nearly 54,000 cases have been declared on the island since the start of the year. The chikungunya epidemic caused the death of 27 people in total, who were “essentially” over 65 years and comorbidities.
How to protect yourself from chikungunya?
There is a chikungunya vaccine. But while a vaccination campaign against chikungunya was launched in early April in Reunion, it was barely stopped a month later for part of the population. The health authorities made this decision on April 26 following “serious undesirable effects” occurring in three people over 80 years old after being vaccinated. One of them died. The health authorities therefore withdrew “from the vaccine target people 65 and over with comorbidities”, and this “without delay”. The 18-64 year olds who have comorbidities can still be vaccinated.
Apart from vaccination, the only way to protect yourself from the disease is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes thanks to repellents, mosquito nets and wearing long and ample clothes. It is recommended to monitor a possible appearance of symptoms to people who live, go or come back from the meeting.
Fragile people should be particularly vigilant, especially those suffering from chronic diseases, but also pregnant women and immunocompromised people, and now those over 65, in whom vaccination is not recommended. The disease can indeed be serious in these people. Today there is no specific treatment against chikungunya. The only available treatments are symptomatic, including paracetamol. Part of the population is already immune to chikungunya following the last epidemic in 2005-2006, which had affected around 260,000 people. Since the start of 2025, nearly 50,000 cases have been confirmed in Reunion.
