The first imported case of chikungunya fever has been detected in Russia

For the first time in Russia, an imported case of chikungunya fever has been detected. The patient is hospitalized and is in moderate condition. Rospotrebnadzor assures that there is no threat of the infection spreading in the country.

According to the department's information, the infected man returned to Moscow after a ten-day vacation in Sri Lanka. Just a day after arrival, he was forced to seek medical help, after which he was immediately placed in the infectious disease ward with an initial diagnosis of "suspected dengue fever." Subsequently, PCR test results revealed the presence of the chikungunya virus.

Rospotrebnadzor specifically noted that this infection is not transmitted directly from person to person. Infection occurs exclusively through bites from infected mosquitoes. Specialists emphasize that the population of carrier insects in Russia does not reach a level capable of causing an epidemiological threat.

Symptoms of chikungunya fever include rapid temperature rise, chills, intense joint and back pain, as well as a characteristic rash. The virus was first identified by scientists in Africa in the middle of the last century. In 2025, active spread of the infection is observed in South Asian regions. From January to July of the current year, 240 thousand cases of infection and 90 deaths have been recorded in 16 countries worldwide.