Travelers as Sentinels for Chikungunya Fever, Brazil

Travelers as Sentinels for Chikungunya Fever, BrazilTo the Editor: The reemergence of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection recently has been reported in travelers after they returned from affected areas (1-6).In the Americas, local transmission has not been identifi ed, although imported cases have been reported in travelers returning from Reunion Island to Martinique, French Guiana, and Guadeloupe (7).In the United States, CHIKV infections have also been reported in travelers who returned from disease-endemic areas (8).Climate changes in recent decades have affected the dynamics of infectious disease transmission, increasing the incidence, prevalence, and number of outbreaks of mosquitoborne diseases, such as dengue fever.Both CHIKV and dengue virus are transmitted by Aedes spp.mosquitoes.Ae. aegypti mosquitoes are the most common mosquito involved in dengue transmission, and Ae.albopictus mosquitoes have been described as effi cient vectors of CHIKV.Recent global expansion of Ae. albopictus mosquitoes has been associated with the introduction and dissemination of CHIKV in new areas (9).