SIMVIM warns travelers of chikungunya and dengue risks this summer

The Italian Society of Travel Medicine and Migration (SIMVIM) urges people planning summer trips to obtain accurate information and complete any required vaccinations before departure. It highlights chikungunya and dengue as the principal mosquito‑borne threats, transmitted by Aedes species that have expanded their range in recent years.

Chikungunya is now present in more than 110 countries, with confirmed transmission in over 50 in the past five years, while dengue is endemic across Africa, Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East, Central and Latin America, Australia and many Pacific islands. Italy has experienced local outbreaks, including chikungunya in Veneto and Emilia‑Romagna last year and autochthonous dengue cases in Lodi (2023) and Fano (2024). No specific cure exists; treatment is supportive. Andrea Rossanese, SIMVIM president, notes that climate change, shifting vector behavior and rising travel to endemic regions are likely to increase cases in Italy.