Chikungunya Virus in Singapore: Rising Infections and Concerns
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Chikungunya outbreak: An outbreak of chikungunya, caused by the East-Central-South African clade, has occurred in Reunion, with about 5% of the population infected and 12 deaths. A similar outbreak is happening in Guangdong, China.
Increased Transmissibility: The Reunion strain has a mutation making it more easily spread by Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.
Singapore’s Risk: Singapore, as a travel hub, is likely to be affected by these regional developments.
Current Situation in Singapore: Currently (2025 to date), chikungunya cases in Singapore are fewer then the daily dengue cases seen in 2024. Dengue cases are also down in 2025 compared to 2024 (2,583 vs. ~10,000 for the first half of the year).
Future Outlook: While the immediate risk is relatively low,more chikungunya cases are possible,potentially in 2026,as dengue peaks typically occur mid-year.
Preventative Measures: The CDA recommends protecting against mosquito bites with clothing and repellents (containing Deet or IR3535). They are also monitoring the situation for the need for further public health measures.
Wolbachia Project: Singapore is expanding Project Wolbachia, which uses Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes to reduce the Aedes* mosquito population.