Chikungunya: the virus is still actively circulating in Mayotte, with 969 cases confirmed since the beginning of the year.

The chikungunya virus is still actively circulating in Mayotte , where a "significant" drop in the number of reported cases should be put into perspective given the limited capacity to accurately measure the dynamics of the epidemic, Public Health France indicated on Friday, June 20.

"Chikungunya remains active throughout the country, with high intensity, particularly in several municipalities outside the main epidemic hotspots of Mamoudzou, Pamandzi and Dzaoudzi, which have been less affected until now," observes Public Health France.

Since the beginning of 2025, 969 confirmed cases of chikungunya have been recorded in the Indian Ocean archipelago, the health agency said, with 74 new cases recorded between June 9 and 15, according to provisional data, compared to 135 the previous week.

While "significant," this drop in the number of confirmed cases should be considered "with caution, given the limitations of current surveillance," she added.

Not only are biological confirmation tests for chikungunya no longer systematic for patients presenting to emergency departments, under high pressure, but there is limited recourse to care for a part of the population of Mayotte.

As for the presence of mosquitoes that carry the disease, the situation appears mixed. On the one hand, control efforts "are beginning to bear fruit, combined with the drop in rainfall and the arrival of trade winds," and their density is gradually decreasing. On the other hand, persistent rainfall in certain areas, particularly east of Grande-Terre, could contribute to this density in the coming weeks.

Since the first confirmed case was detected in the archipelago, 36 people have been hospitalized, including 18 pregnant women for monitoring and 14 infants under one year of age. So far, two admissions to neonatal intensive care have been reported, but no deaths.

Given the current situation, the health agency is calling for increased vector control, particularly in municipalities outside the original epidemic hotspots, and for targeted actions to reduce breeding sites and raise public awareness to limit the proliferation of mosquitoes.

Chikungunya causes high fevers, sometimes long-lasting joint pain, and intense fatigue. But in Mayotte, the poorest department in France, it is often seen as a lesser evil by the population compared to other daily emergencies. Mayotte has already suffered several public health crises in 2024, including a cholera epidemic and the aftermath of Cyclone Chido .