The chikungunya virus is an infectious arboviral disease from the family Togaviridae. It comes from tropical regions and is transmitted by Aedes mosquitos. The virus is contracted by the mosquito when it bites an infected individual. It then becomes a carrier and can transmit the disease by biting a healthy person. There is no curative treatment for the virus, although INSERM researchers have discovered a human cellular factor involved in virus replication (source).

As of Friday 11th July, the chikungunya virus is now considered a major epidemic by the Ministry of Health. According to the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance, between 2,500 and 3,000 new cases are recorded in Martinique and approximately 5,000 cases in Guadeloupe on a weekly basis.

There is also a risk of infection in mainland France due to some 400,000 people returning from the West Indies who are living in France.