Tiger mosquitoes transmit chikungunya locally in Switzerland for first time
Wednesday 4th November 2026 on 15:30 in
Switzerland
Four people in the canton of Ticino have contracted chikungunya through local transmission, the first such cases in Switzerland, SRF reported. The patients had not recently travelled to countries where the virus is circulating. The cases were linked to the Magadino Plain, a flat area near Bellinzona, according to Ticino authorities.
The four patients have had a favourable clinical course and are doing well, the cantonal Department of Health and Social Affairs said, although they continue to have joint pain. Ticino authorities currently consider the risk to be low.
How the virus spreads
Chikungunya is transmitted by mosquitoes of the Aedes genus, which includes the Asian tiger mosquito. Native mosquito species in Switzerland cannot transmit the virus. Symptoms usually develop seven to nine days after a bite and include high fever, severe joint and muscle pain, and headaches. Some people also develop a rash.
Most infections are mild, but joint pain can last for weeks or months. Severe cases are rare and occur mainly in older people or those with pre-existing health conditions.
The Asian tiger mosquito has established itself in many parts of Europe. It was first detected in Ticino in 2003, and the first stable population was recorded near Chiasso in 2007. Small populations have also been found in Basel and Zurich. The four Ticino cases are Switzerland’s first known local chikungunya transmissions, following local infections in France and Italy.
From January to August 2026, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health recorded 55 chikungunya infections among people returning from travel. The office says local transmission can occur when an infected traveller is bitten in Switzerland during the infectious period by a tiger mosquito, which can then pass the virus to others.
Vaccine available
A chikungunya vaccine, Vimkunya, has been approved in Switzerland for people aged 12 and older since April 2026. The Swiss Expert Committee for Travel Medicine recommended in June 2026 that it be used for travel to areas experiencing current outbreaks, rather than within Switzerland.