Overview

• On July 7, the Robert Koch-Institut confirmed the first locally transmitted Chikungunya infection in Lipsheim and Fegersheim, about six to seven kilometers from the German border.
• The infection was linked to the Asian tiger mosquito, which has established populations across southern France and in German regions such as Baden-Württemberg and the Rhein-Main area.
• Germany recorded 75 travel-associated Chikungunya cases from April to June, all linked to returnees from Mauritius, La Réunion and Sri Lanka.
• Health authorities assess that geographic expansion from the Alsace case is possible but unlikely, prompting intensified mosquito control and case-finding measures.
• Two vaccines, Ixchiq and Vimkunya, are authorized in Germany, with the European Medicines Agency currently reviewing Ixchiq over potential side effects in older adults.