Taiwan raises travel alert for Brazil, Réunion amid chikungunya outbreak

Taipei, July 23 (CNA) Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has raised its travel alert for Brazil and the French overseas territory of Réunion Island to Level 2, advising travelers to exercise increased caution as the global chikungunya outbreak worsens.

In addition, China's Guangdong Province and Indonesia have been placed under a Level 1 alert, with travelers from Taiwan advised to take standard precautions when visiting, the CDC said in a press release on Wednesday.

The Level 1 alert also applies to the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Argentina, and Bolivia, it added.

In the statement, the CDC noted that more than 250,000 chikungunya cases have been reported globally so far this year. As such, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an urgent call to action, urging countries to take preventive steps.

According to the CDC, the Americas are currently experiencing the most severe outbreaks, with the highest case numbers in Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina.

A large outbreak of the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus has also spread from the Indian Ocean islands of Réunion, Mayotte and Mauritius to other areas, the CDC said.

One-third of the population of Réunion is estimated to have been infected already, according to an AFP report citing the WHO's Diana Rojas Alvarez at a press briefing in Geneva on Wednesday.

In Asia, India has reported over 30,000 cases this year.

Meanwhile, in Foshan City of Guangdong Province, China, a local outbreak has resulted in more than 2,600 cases, mostly stemming from imported infections. Macau has also reported imported cases.

As a result, several Chinese provinces and cities have issued public health advisories, according to the CDC.

The CDC also said that in Europe, France has reported 30 local cases and 799 imported cases so far this year. Italy has also reported one local case.

Unlike previous years when cases usually occurred between July and August, this year's outbreak in Europe began unusually early in June, the CDC said.

In response to the global outbreak, the CDC said it has enhanced health screenings and fever checks at international ports, while also implementing TOCC evaluations (Travel, Occupation, Contact, and Cluster history), testing, health education, and distributing mosquito repellent to symptomatic or at-risk travelers arriving from outbreak areas.

Taiwan has reported 15 imported chikungunya cases as of July 22, the highest number for the same period in six years, CDC data show.

Of these cases, 13 were linked to travel from Indonesia, while the Philippines and Sri Lanka each accounted for one. In comparison, the number of imported cases reported during the same period from 2020 to 2024 ranged from zero to five.

The Chikungunya virus is primarily spread to people through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, specifically Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Symptoms can include fever, joint pain, headache, muscle pain, joint swelling and rash.