Chikungunya is also transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, and autochthonous outbreaks occurred in Italy in 2007, and in France in 2010 and 2014.25

However, the most recent data, indicates that the 366 laboratory-confirmed cases (from 476 reported cases) across the EU in 2016 were all travel associated. Overall this was down on the previous two years, but the UK reported the highest number with 169 cases followed by Spain with 105.

Levels fluctuate, peaking with the winter, Easter and summer holiday periods. “In 2016, most of the 318 cases for which the probable place of infection was known were infected in India (n=136,42.8 per cent) and Brazil (n=46, 14.5 per cent),” said the ECDC

Chikungunya is a viral disease, causing fever and severe, debilitating joint pain, along with muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash. It can be fatal. There is no vaccine, and treatment aims to relieve joint pain and fever using antipyretics, analgesics and fluids.26