English for Nurses: Chikungunya

Part 1: Listening

Listen to the pronunciation of the terms here. Underline the stressed syllables in each term.
Make a note of any terms you don’t know.

Vocabulary: Chikungunya

Part 2: Match the terms from the vocabulary list with their correct meanings.

Part 3: Read the text and answer the questions

June 2025: Locally transmitted cases of chikungunya detected in France.
Between May 1 and June 17, 2025, 583 imported cases of chikungunya were recorded in mainland France. Two of the cases were locally transmitted chikungunya. 

The chikungunya virus is an arbovirus transmitted by aedes mosquitoes. In France,  the aedes albopictus mosquito (tiger mosquito) is the most common transmitter of  chikungunya, dengue and Zika.

The small tiger mosquito (less than 5mm in length) is misnamed, as it has black and white stripes, not the yellow and black stripes of a tiger. Usually found in Southeast Asian tropical forests, it has adapted itself to many different environments, including urban environments by living in containers with small volumes of water. Unlike the common mosquito, the tiger mosquito is diurnal, biting during the day and makes no noise. 

Infection from the tiger mosquito is a risk when living or travelling to areas where the mosquito is endemic. More recently, so-called autocthonous cases (cases contracted without travel) are of concern as travellers return from overseas or goods are imported from overseas carrying the mosquitoes, e.g. car tyres.  

Chikungunya infection causes abrupt fever, severe joint pain and joint stiffness, headache and rash between 4 and 8 days after the bite of an infected mosquito. Whilst most of the symptoms are self-limiting, joint pain can last up to several months.

On 13 January 2025, a low-intensity chikungunya epidemic was declared in the prefecture of La Réunion, 18 years after a first major outbreak. By 14 March 2025 a epidemic has risen to medium-intensity with two reported virus-related deaths. 

Chikungunya vaccination with a chikungunya vaccine was recommended before travelling to chikungunya-affected countries. Two chikungunya vaccines, the IXCHIQ and VIMKUNYA vaccines are currently available.

The IXCHIQ vaccine is a single-dose, live-attenuated vaccine that uses a weak form of the virus that causes chikungunya. The VIMKUNYA vaccine is a single dose, non-live chikungunya virus-like particle vaccine (VLP) that mimics how viruses usually appear to the body without causing the disease so that the vaccine prompts the body to fight the virus. 

In addition to vaccination,  active case finding was started. This involves entomological surveillance - door-to-door surveys in the affected neighbourhoods and genomic surveillance – research into mutations of the virus.

Answer the questions

1. What type of insect is responsible for transmitting chikungunya?
2. How has the tiger mosquito adapted to living in different types of environments?
3. How is the tiger mosquito different from a normal mosquito (2 reasons)?
4. How are autocthonous cases of chikungunya brought to other countries ( 2 ways)?
5. How many doses of both chikungunya vaccines are delivered?
6. What does ‘mutation’ mean?