Genomic epidemiology reconstructs the pre-detection transmission and establishment of chikungunya virus in Guangdong, China

Genomic epidemiology of chikungunya virus in Guangdong, China links the 2025 outbreak to a single dominant Reunion-associated ECSA lineage and dates its origin to late April–early May 2025.

• Why it matters: The outbreak’s origins and early transmission history were unresolved, and passive surveillance may miss early arboviral spread before cases are detected.
• What they did: Investigators sequenced 1,264 near-complete CHIKV genomes from Guangdong and integrated genomic, epidemiological, entomological, and human mobility data for spatiotemporal reconstruction.
• The result: The estimated origin-to-first-case interval fits undetected local transmission, and two epidemic waves emerged: Foshan showed frequent medium- to long-distance movement, while Jiangmen stayed relatively localized.

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