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Chikungunya and Dengue Outbreak in Cuba Has Left 33 Dead, Officials Say
- December 3, 2025
- I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter
A severe mosquito-borne virus outbreak in Cuba has led to dozens of deaths since midsummer, including many young children, health officials there have reported.
Cuba’s deputy health minister, Carilda Peña, said on state TV that 33 people have died from chikungunya and dengue since July. Twenty-one of the deaths were in children. Most were linked to chikungunya, while dengue caused 12 deaths.
The current outbreak began in Cuba’s western Matanzas province and has since spread across all 15 provinces of the country, which has a population of 9.7 million.
Chikungunya, first identified in Africa in the 1950s, usually causes fever, severe joint pain and fatigue, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Symptoms typically start 3 to 7 days after a mosquito bite.
While most people recover within a week, some may experience joint pain for months or years. Deaths are rare, but infants infected around birth, adults over 65 and folks with preexisting health conditions face higher risks of severe illness.
The island is also seeing a rise in dengue, another mosquito-borne infection that causes flu-like symptoms and, in severe cases, life-threatening complications.
Cuba controlled a chikungunya outbreak in 2014, helped by the country’s traditionally strong public health expertise. But this year’s surge has grown much harder to contain.
Officials say the current outbreak has worsened because of poor sanitation, garbage buildup and water shortages, forcing families to store water in tanks where mosquitoes typically breed.
Years of economic strain, U.S. sanctions and the collapse of the tourism industry due to the pandemic have also limited access to fuel, medical supplies and mosquito-control programs.
The CDC has issued travel notices warning Americans traveling to chikungunya-affected countries, including Cuba, to take added precautions. These include:
Getting vaccinated for chikungunya
Using insect repellents
Wearing long sleeves and pants
Other countries with active travel alerts for chikungunya include Bangladesh, Guangdong Province in China, Kenya, Madagascar, Somalia and Sri Lanka.
In the United States, New York reported its first locally acquired chikungunya case in October 2025, the first domestic case since 2019, reports CBS News.
More information
The World Health Organization (WHO) has more on chikungunya and dengue.
SOURCE: CBS News, Dec. 2, 2025
