U.S. FDA Approves the First Vaccine for Chikungunya Virus

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first vaccine to prevent disease caused by the Chikungunya virus. Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne disease that officials are calling “an emerging global health threat.” It was first identified in the United Republic of Tanzania in 1952 and then had sporadic outbreaks across Africa and Asia. Over time, the disease spread and now Chikungunya has been identified in nearly 40 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and, most recently, the Americas. The FDA says the highest risk of infection is in tropical and subtropical regions, but climate change is causing mosquitoes to roam beyond their current habitats, which has allowed the disease to spread to other parts of the world.



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