CHIKV numbers rise
The outbreak of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in the Caribbean region, first reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) in December 2013, continues to take its toll on locals and travellers. The most recent countries reporting autochthonous (locally acquired) transmission are Brazil, Colombia and Guatemala. Since the initial report, autochthonous (locally acquired) transmission of CHIKV has been reported from several countries and territories in the Caribbean, as well as from mainland North, South and Central America. As of 19 September 2014, 729,178 suspected cases and 113 deaths have been reported in the region.
The majority of CHIKV cases imported into other countries come from Southeast Asian travellers; but in 2014, 37 cases of CHIKV have been reported in British travellers returning from Caribbean nations, most of whom were visiting the Dominican Republic, Antigua or Barbuda.