Three new deaths "linked to chikungunya" have been recorded in Réunion, bringing the number of deaths on the island since the beginning of the year to twelve, Public Health France announced on Wednesday, reporting a slight decline in the epidemic in its weekly bulletin.
"These deaths occurred in people over 70 years old (...) with comorbidities," mainly "chronic pathologies," the public health agency said, adding in a press release that 3,079 cases were recorded in the last week of April, compared to 3,601 the previous week.
Twenty-eight other deaths, including that of an infant, are "under investigation" to determine whether they are linked to this disease, according to this new report.
The health agency stated that the epidemic has been declining since the end of April, but that it remains "still active with disparities depending on the region" of the department.
From April 28 to May 4, 250 emergency room visits were recorded, compared to 332 the previous week, a decrease of 25%, specifies Public Health France.
Consultations in general medicine are also down, with 14,030 consultations from April 28 to May 4, compared to 23,140 the previous week.
These initial downward trends in the epidemic, however, remain "to be confirmed in the coming weeks due to a public holiday," May 1, and the start of school holidays, and must "be interpreted with caution," the health agency added.
A total of 47,500 cases of chikungunya have been confirmed since the beginning of the year, according to the press release.
The current epidemic began in August 2024, but cases exploded starting in March 2025. Before this outbreak, no cases of chikungunya had been reported in Réunion since 2010. A major epidemic there affected 260,000 people and caused more than 200 deaths between 2005 and 2006.
The disease, sometimes nicknamed Bent Man Disease, is characterized by joint pain, headaches, or fevers that can be very sudden and intense.
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