Chikungunya, Dengue and Zika Diseases Found in Warm Weather Countries

As the Fall 2024 vacation season approaches, many international travelers are looking to relax on a warm beach in the sun.

However, the latest Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) report warns travelers that some beaches may have disease-carrying mosquitoes.

As of September 3, 2024, three arboviral diseases have recently increased by over 100% in the Americas Region.

Of those diseases, about 90 % were dengue cases, 8% chikungunya virus cases, and 2% were Zika cases.

The thirteen-year circulation pattern of these arboviruses shows that chikungunya was introduced in December 2013, followed by the introduction of Zika in 2015.

And since 2015. dengue circulation has continued predominating, already exceeding 11 million cases in 2024.

Previously, Stanford researchers published a study in the journal PLOS that focused on detecting the impact of temperature on the transmission of Zika, dengue, and chikungunya using mechanistic models. Knowing the optimal temperature for disease transmission is critical for predicting future disease rates.

“Dengue epidemics have been on the rise in the past couple of decades, so there’s been a growing effort trying to understand why we’re seeing more cases and what the relationship is between dengue transmission and climate,” said study lead author Erin Mordecai, an assistant professor of biology, in a press release.

The PAHO and the U.S. CDC have issued various travel alerts regarding these outbreaks and suggest avoiding mosquito bites.

These health agencies also recommend that international travelers speak with a vaccine specialist at least one month before visiting an at-risk area regarding disease prevention options.

While access to Valneva SE's single-dose IXCHIQ® Chikungunya vaccine is the easiest in the United States, dengue vaccines are transitioning, and there are no approved Zika vaccines.

In addition, asking your travel vaccine advisory about the annual flu shot is always a good idea.