A-Z Index × Submit A-Z Index × Submit A-Z Index Search Dropdown × Submit Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate Emerging Infectious Disease journal ISSN: 1080-6059 Disclaimer: Early release articles are not considered as final versions. Any changes will be reflected in the online version in the month the article is officially released.
Chikungunya transmission was confirmed in Perico, Matanzas Province, Cuba. Initial research confirmed the presence of East/Central/South African genotype related to Brazil 2025 strains in serum samples and in Aedes aegypti mosquito pools from transmission areas. Our findings underscore the need for surveillance and signal potential spread to other regions.
In 2004, the global epidemiology of chikungunya shifted, when the virus spread from Kenya to islands in the Indian Ocean. By 2013, transmission reached the French Caribbean and subsequently expanded throughout the Americas. In 2025, the Pan American Health Organization reported 631,720 suspected chikungunya cases, primarily in Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, and Paraguay ( 1 ). Viral persistence in the Americas is driven by a combination of climatic, economic, social, demographic, and entomovirologic factors ( 2 ).
Cuba maintains a national dengue surveillance system for acute febrile illness (AFI) of unknown etiology. Serum samples are routinely tested for dengue IgM at local laboratories, and molecular testing by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) is conducted at the Arbovirus National Reference Laboratory of the Institute of Tropical Medicine Pedro Kouri ( 3 ).
On July 16, 2025, an increase in AFI cases was reported in España Republicana, Perico Municipality, Matanzas Province. Serum samples from AFI cases collected for dengue IgM detection tested negative at Perico laboratory. On July 21, the reference laboratory received 12 serum samples from patients with AFI from España Republicana and tested extracted RNA by qRT-PCR using QIAmp Viral RNA Mini Kit (QIAGEN, https://www.qiagen.com ) and VIASURE multiplex test (Certest Biotec, https://www.certest.es ) for dengue (DENV), Zika, chikungunya (CHIKV), Mayaro, Oropouche, and yellow fever viruses ( 4 ). Eight (66.7%) samples tested positive for CHIKV and 1 (8.3%) for DENV.
Confirmed chikungunya patients experienced high-grade fever lasting 48–72 hours and unresponsive to antipyretics, and severe disabling joint pain, predominantly in the hands, ankles, and back. Inflammation of the affected joints and a pruritic maculopapular rash were observed at various stages of the illness. Additional symptoms included oral lesions, vomiting, nausea, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and malaise. Median age was 46 (range 15–72) years. An equal number of male and female patients were affected. No severe or fatal cases were identified in that initial cluster.
To assess the extent of transmission, we collected acute serum samples from AFI patients in Perico (15 samples) and neighboring municipalities (39 samples) on July 23 ( Table ). All samples tested negative for dengue IgM. All Perico samples tested positive for CHIKV; 1 case had DENV co-infection. No CHIKV was detected in neighboring municipalities, although 2 samples were positive for DENV.
After confirming CHIKV transmission, national surveillance was intensified through active AFI case finding; standardized case definitions for suspected and confirmed cases were implemented ( 5 ). By epidemiologic week 52, transmission was confirmed in 15 provinces and 147…