The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention NCDC has issued a public health advisory on Chikun-gunya, a mosquito-borne viral disease currently spreading in several countries.
Although Nigeria has recorded no confirmed cases in 2025, the agency urged citizens to remain vigilant. The warning follows reports from the World Health Organisation and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control that over 240,000 cases and 90 deaths have been reported across at least 16 countries this year.
China has reported nearly 5,000 cases since July, with Guangdong Province alone recording about 3,000 cases in one week. The NCDC explained that Chikungunya is transmitted mainly by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes the same species responsible for Yellow Fever and Dengue which bite primarily during the day, especially in the early morning and late afternoon.
Symptoms include sudden fever, severe joint and muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue, and rash. While rarely fatal, the disease can cause long-lasting joint pain. The agency warned that ongoing flooding and favourable mosquito breeding conditions in some states could increase the risk of outbreaks of Chikungunya, Yellow Fever, and Dengue.
