Almost 20 years after the historic epidemic of 2005-2006, the meeting experienced in 2025 a second major wave of Chikungunya. In this context, Public Health France (SPF) and the Regional Health Agency (ARS) La Réunion launch a joint survey to estimate the share of the population that has been infected (RB/www.imazpress.com))
“This HIV positive study (research of antibodies), controlled by SPF, will measure the level of collective immunity against chikungunya and better anticipate the risks of resurgence in the coming years,” explains ARS.
– an inventory of immunity on the scale of the island –
The study will start on August 25, 2025 and will continue for three months. It aims to measure the seroprevalence of chikungunya across the meeting and by district.
The results will allow:
– Document the current level of immunity of the population of Reunion
– Estimate the extent of the epidemic 2025
– Refine the analysis of the risk of epidemic for the coming years.
For the ARS of Reunion, these data will be “essential” to “adapt prevention and communication strategies, strengthen epidemiological surveillance, and optimize anti -actoral control actions”.
“During the duration of the recruitment of the study, people presenting themselves at a medical biology laboratory in the context of an already prescribed examination will be offered this analysis. It is intended for all residents of the meeting, without distinction of age or sex, who are thus invited to participate in this study during a blood sample in one of the 23 partner medical analysis laboratories”, details the ARS.
“Whether or not there is a known history of Chikungunya, each participation is essential: the higher the number of participants, the more precise the results and representative of the level of collective immunity.”
After carrying out the analyzes prescribed during a blood sample, the quantity of remaining serum (the liquid part of the blood deducted) if it is sufficient, will be used to seek the presence of antibodies of the chikungunya by the National Reference Center (CNR) associated with arbovirus, located at the CHU of Reunion.
“In total, nearly 1,500 people will be included, with a balanced distribution between the four arrondissements of the island, in order to guarantee reliable and representative results for the entire population of Reunion, as well as estimates for each district,” said the ARS.
Each patient included in the study will receive the result of his analysis and will then know their immunity status towards Chikungunya.
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