Chikungunya in Italy

doi:10.1136/bmj.39342.563310.80

BMJ, doi: 10.1136/bmj.39342.563310.80, (Published 18 September 2007)

Editorials

Chikungunya in Italy

Globalisation is to blame, not climate change

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

An epidemic of chikungunya virus has recently occurred in Italy,involving more than 190 cases.¹ The concern is that climatechange will bring mosquito borne tropical diseases to NorthernEurope, but is this outbreak really the result of global warming?Although such an epidemic is new in Europe, it is probably causedby globalisation rather than climate change. Increased amountsof long distance tourism, travel, and trade mean that organismsthat live in and on people or goods have more opportunity tobe transported across continents.

Chikungunya is an epidemic disease with many similarities todengue—it causes fever that lasts four to seven days,sometimes with a rash. It is often accompanied by intense arthralgia.²Most infections cause noticeable disease, but haemorrhagic symptomsand other life threatening manifestations are rare.

The virus can be carried by several species of mosquito, butthe vector in Italy and in recent epidemics elsewhere . . . [Full text of this article]

Jo Lines, reader in vector biology and malaria control

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT

jo.lines@lshtm.ac.uk

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