Increase in Chikungunya virus cases raises concerns

Last month, the World Health Organisation raised concerns after seeing an increase in cases of the mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus, with over 100 countries reporting cases of local transmission. Approximately 220,000 CHIKVD cases and 80 CHIKVD-related deaths were reported in the first half of 2025 (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control).

Associate Professor Cameron Webb at the University of Sydney’s School of Medical Science – and Principal Hospital Scientist with the NSW Department of Medical Entomology – talked On The Record with Danielle Raffele about how the virus manifests, the reasons behind its recent up-tick in cases, how climate change affects the spreading of diseases, and how Australians can mitigate the risk of contracting the virus.