Washington, D.C., February 11, 2026 (PAHO) — The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has issued an epidemiological alert following a sustained increase in chikungunya cases in several countries in the Americas since late 2025 and into early 2026. The alert also highlights the re-emergence of local transmission in areas that had not reported virus circulation in several years.
While this trend is consistent with expected patterns in areas where the Aedes aegypti mosquito vector is present, environmental factors such as extreme temperatures favor mosquito breeding. The persistence of the virus in endemic areas, along with the circulation of the Asian and East, Central, and South African (ECSA) genotypes, underscores the need for sensitive surveillance and a timely response.
“Chikungunya spread across the Americas in 2013, and after years of low transmission, we are now observing a resurgence, particularly in the Intertropical Zone where Aedes aegypti is present,” said Sylvain Aldighieri, Director of Communicable Diseases Prevention, Control, and Elimination at PAHO. “The purpose of this alert is to ensure that health workers and governments are prepared for potential outbreaks and can plan public information campaigns.”
PAHO recommends that countries strengthen epidemiological and laboratory surveillance to detect cases and outbreaks early, ensure proper clinical management–especially for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, children under 1 year of age, older adults, and people with underlying health conditions—and intensify integrated vector management actions, including the elimination o