I-Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) igciwane lohlobo lwe-flavivirus, umndeni wamagciwane ahlanganisa igciwane lodenga, i-zika virus, i-yellow fever, njll. Izifo ezisakazwa yilawa magciwane ama-arboviruses, abizwa kanjalo, ngoba lawa magciwane angama-arboviruses (isifinyezo. kwe ari-thropod -borne igciwanees), okungukuthi asakazwa ama-arthropods, izinambuzane ezimunca igazi njengomiyane.

I-CHIKV yabonakala okokuqala ngesikhathi sobhubhane ngo-1952/1953 ethafeni laseMakondé eTanzania. Igama laso livela egameni lolimi lweMakondé elisho ukuthi “gobile”, ngenxa yesimo sengqondo sokuncika esithathwe abanye abantu abanalesi sifo. I-CHIKV yayingaba nembangela yezifo eziwumshayabhuqe ngobuhlungu bamalunga esikhathini eside ngaphambi kwalolu suku lapho ikhonjwa khona.  

Ngemuva kwe-Afrika, kanye neNingizimu-mpumalanga ye-Asia, yahlanganisa i-Indian Ocean ngo-2004, ikakhulukazi ubhubhane olungavamile e-Réunion ngo-2005/2006 (abantu abangu-300 abathintekayo), kwase kuba yizwekazi laseMelika (okuhlanganisa neCaribbean), i-Asia kanye ne-Oceania. I-CHIKV manje isikhona eningizimu yeYurophu kusukela ngo-000, usuku lokuqubuka kwesifo esisenyakatho-mpumalanga ye-Italy. Kusukela lapho, okunye ukuqubuka kuqoshwe eFrance naseCroatia.

Manje sekubhekwa ukuthi wonke amazwe anenkathi eshisayo noma isimo sezulu angase abhekane nezifo eziwumshayabhuqe.  

NgoSepthemba 2015, kulinganiselwa ukuthi umiyane i-Aedes albopictus yasungulwa eminyangweni engama-22 yaseFrance ezwenikazi laseFrance ebekwe ngaphansi kohlelo lokuqapha oluqinisiwe lwesifunda. Ngokuncipha kwamacala angenisiwe, amacala angu-30 ngo-2015 angeniswa ngokumelene nangaphezu kuka-400 ngo-2014. Ngo-Okthoba 21, 2014, iFrance yaqinisekisa amacala angu-4 okutheleleka kwe-chikungunya atholakala endaweni yaseMontpellier (eFrance).

Umqedazwe uyaqhubeka eMartinique naseGuyana, futhi leli gciwane lizungeza eGuadeloupe.  

Iziqhingi zasePacific Ocean nazo ziyathinteka futhi amacala e-chikungunya avele ngo-2015 e-Cook Islands naseMarshall Islands.