Cyprus confirms no chikungunya virus circulation despite presence of carrier mosquitoes

Health authorities in Cyprus (south) have confirmed that the chikungunya virus is not circulating in Cyprus and no domestic cases have been recorded, despite the presence of carrier mosquitoes on the island.

The Health Ministry issued an announcement yesterday stating that whilst the Chikungunya virus does not circulate in Cyprus with no recorded domestic cases, the carrier mosquito-vector exists on the island, prompting surveillance and prevention measures.

Virus transmission and symptoms

The Chikungunya virus causes a viral infection transmitted through bites from infected mosquitoes, primarily Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus species. The ministry emphasised that whilst the virus transmits to humans through infected mosquito bites, it does not spread from person to person.

Mosquitoes carrying the virus bite mainly during daytime hours and breed in stagnant water near residences.

The most common symptoms appear 2 to 7 days after being bitten and include high fever, severe joint pain (mainly in hands and feet), headache, muscle pain and fatigue, with some cases causing skin rashes.

The disease usually subsides within days, though joint pain may persist for weeks or months, according to the ministry.

Prevention recommendations

Authorities recommend using insect repellents on skin, wearing long clothing especially at dawn and dusk, installing screens on doors and windows, and removing stagnant water from pots, containers, buckets or other surfaces where mosquitoes can reproduce.

The ministry advises anyone returning from countries where the virus is endemic and experiencing the aforementioned symptoms to immediately contact their personal doctor and strictly follow their instructions.

Expert assessment of risk levels

Microbiology/Molecular Virology Professor Dr Petros Karayiannis confirmed the risk exists but remains remote for Cyprus currently, noting no direct person-to-person transmission occurs but infection results from infected mosquito bites.

Regarding the virus’s appearance in China and potential European spread including Cyprus, Karayiannis explained chikungunya is not a new virus. “The first isolation occurred in the 1950s, specifically 1952 in Tanzania, and received its name due to symptoms it causes. Locals gave the name in their dialect meaning ‘bent over’ due to joint problems the virus causes.”

Regional mosquito presence confirmed

Karayiannis noted that whilst not a new virus, chikungunya has created outbreaks in various global locations recently, mainly in tropical and subtropical regions where carrier mosquitoes are endemic.

“Unfortunately for Southern Europe, mosquitoes carrying this virus have invaded southern European countries, including Cyprus, over the past 2-3 years,” he stated.

The mosquitoes belong to the Aedes genus, specifically albopictus and aegypti species, which also carry dengue fever and zika virus.

“Current risks for Cyprus are not particularly significant because an infected person must arrive, be bitten by mosquitoes and introduce the virus into the local mosquito population for wider transmission. We currently face no danger,” Dr Karayiannis concluded.