title: Chikungunya virus infections among travellers returning to Spain, 2008 to 2014.
abstract: Since the first documented autochthonous transmission of chikungunya virus in the Caribbean island of Saint Martin in 2013, the infection has been reported within the Caribbean region as well as North, Central and South America. The risk of autochthonous transmission of chikungunya virus becoming established in Spain may be elevated due to the large numbers of travellers returning to Spain from countries affected by the 2013 epidemic in the Caribbean and South America, as well as the existence of the Aedes albopictus vector in certain parts of Spain. We retrospectively analysed the laboratory diagnostic database of the National Centre for Microbiology, Institute of Health Carlos III (CNM-ISCIII) from 2008 to 2014. During the study period, 264 confirmed cases, of 1,371 suspected cases, were diagnosed at the CNM-ISCIII. In 2014 alone, there were 234 confirmed cases. The highest number of confirmed cases were reported from the Dominican Republic (n = 136), Venezuela (n = 30) and Haiti (n = 11). Six cases were viraemic in areas of Spain where the vector is present. This report highlights the need for integrated active case and vector surveillance in Spain and other parts of Europe where chikungunya virus may be introduced by returning travellers.
authors.affiliation: Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria Dolores
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Garcia
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bangert
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de Ory
authors.forename: Arantxa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Potente
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lasala
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Herrero
authors.forename: Francisca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Molero
authors.forename: Anabel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Negredo
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vázquez
authors.forename: Teodora
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Minguito
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Balfagón
authors.forename: Jesus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de la Fuente
authors.forename: Sabino
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Puente
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ramírez de Arellano
authors.forename: Mar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lago
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gascón
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: Rogelio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lopez-Velez
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sulleiro
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pou
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Serre
authors.forename: Ricardo Fernández
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Roblas
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tenorio
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: Maria Paz
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Seco
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000821:virology; D000818:Animals; D065632:Chikungunya Fever / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D002646:Chikungunya virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004293:Dominican Republic; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology*; D006205:Haiti; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014195:Travel; D014687:Venezuela
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Co-Infection; Europe; chikungunya; dengue; imported; travel related