Chikungunya fever is transmitted locally in Europe for first time

The first known instance of transmission of chikungunya fever by mosquitoes in Europe is currently taking place in northeastern Italy. Previously some travellers from areas where the infection is endemic—parts of Africa, South East Asia, and the Indian subcontinent—had returned home to Europe with the virus. But never before had local transmission taken place.

During August health authorities in the province of Emilia-Romagna detected an unusually high number of cases of febrile illness in two small villages near Ravenna, Castiglione di Cervia and Castiglione di Ravenna. Subsequent analyses confirmed the diagnosis of chikungunya …