Severe chikungunya infection in a returned traveler from Sri Lanka to Australia

Authors:

• Malcolm, Nicholas
• Huits, Ralph
• Hamer, Davidson H.
• Leder, Karin
• Lim, Chuan K.
• Muhi, Stephen

Details:

Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease, Volume 71, 2026-06-30

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Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an Aedes-transmitted alphavirus that causes explosive outbreaks of febrile arthritogenic disease. We report a case of chikungunya meningoencephalitis, severe thrombocytopenia and retroperitoneal hemorrhage in an immunocompetent 64-year-old Australian traveler, returning from Sri Lanka in 2025. The infecting strain clustered with the Indian Ocean Lineage that circulated in Sri Lanka during the 2024–2025 outbreak. We highlight the risk of severe chikungunya in travelers returning from destinations with ongoing outbreaks.