More than 73 imported cases of chikungunya fever have been recorded in England since the beginning of the year, compared with 27 cases during the same period in 2024, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

“The latest data indicate an increase in imported cases of chikungunya fever compared to the same period last year. From January to June 2025, a total of 73 cases were recorded. During the same period in 2024, there were 27 cases. The number of cases recorded in 2025 during this period is the highest since monitoring began,” the agency said in a statement.

All cases were registered in England, most of them in London. The figures cover only the regions of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, as statistics in Scotland are collected separately. Most cases were linked to travel to Sri Lanka, India, and Mauritius, where local outbreaks have been reported.

During the same period, three imported cases of Oropouche fever were also recorded — the first ever in the country.

Earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that locally transmitted cases of chikungunya have already been detected in France and Italy, with the virus spreading worldwide and putting 5.6 billion people at risk. It was also reported that between July 27 and August 2, a total of 2,892 new cases of chikungunya fever were registered in China’s Guangdong Province, the majority — 2,770 — in the city of Foshan.

Chikungunya fever is an infection transmitted through the bites of insect vectors, primarily Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. The infection is endemic in parts of Africa, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the Pacific region, and the Caribbean.