ISLAMABAD: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a warning regarding a significant risk of chikungunya spread in several nations, including Pakistan. This comes as more than 445,000 cases and 155 deaths have been reported from 40 countries so far in 2025.
Officials and experts warn that Pakistan, already grappling with post-monsoon outbreaks of dengue and malaria, remains highly vulnerable due to a large population of Aedes mosquitoes. The country’s preparedness is hampered by a lack of routine chikungunya screening facilities and a healthcare infrastructure weakened by the devastating 2025 floods in Sindh, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Surge in Global and Regional Transmission
According to the WHO’s latest Disease Outbreak News, chikungunya transmission has surged globally this year, with hotspots identified across the Americas, South Asia, and the Indian Ocean territories.
While Pakistan’s case rates are comparable to 2024, officials confirmed a sharp uptick between May and June 2025, when the country saw more than 100 suspected cases per week.
- Misdiagnosis Problem: Health experts say the overlap of symptoms with dengue frequently leads to misdiagnosis. Due to limited laboratory testing, most patients are only treated symptomatically. A senior physician in Karachi noted that chikungunya is “underdiagnosed in Pakistan simply because our hospitals do not routinely test for it.”
- Post-Flood Risk: The unprecedented 2025 monsoon flooding left vast, stagnant pools of water across urban and rural areas—perfect breeding grounds for the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, the same vectors that transmit dengue and Zika. Public health officials fear this surge in mosquito density could allow for undetected chikungunya outbreaks in the coming months.
Economic and Health Consequences
WHO has highlighted that chikungunya typically causes “high population attack rates,” potentially affecting up to three-quarters of a susceptible population. This would place an immense strain on Pakistan’s healthcare system, which is already under-resourced with weak vector control and low health spending.
Doctors warn that the severe and prolonged joint pain caused by chikungunya can last weeks or months, leading to lost productivity and income, especially in the already struggling flood-hit communities. As one Lahore-based expert stated, “For a daily wage earner who cannot walk because of joint swelling, chikungunya is an economic disaster as much as a health one.”
WHO Recommendations and Preparedness Gap
There is currently no specific antiviral treatment for chikungunya. Treatment focuses on rest, hydration, and pain relief using paracetamol (preferred until dengue is ruled out). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are discouraged due to bleeding risks in possible dengue co-infections.
Though two vaccines have been approved globally, they are not widely available. WHO has urged countries to strengthen surveillance, prepare hospitals, and expand vector control.
Experts argue that Pakistan must learn from past dengue missteps by investing in better diagnostics, raising public awareness about mosquito control, and integrating chikungunya into the national vector-borne disease strategy. A public health official in Islamabad warned: “The same mosquitoes spread all three diseases. Unless we address stagnant water, waste disposal, and urban mosquito control, we will see repeated cycles of outbreaks.”
