First chikungunya vaccine approved

United States health authorities on Thursday approved the world's first vaccine for chikungunya, a virus spread by infected mosquitoes that the Food and Drug Administration called "an emerging global health threat."

The vaccine, developed by Europe's Valneva which will be marketed under the name Ixchiq, was approved for people 18 and over who are at increased risk of exposure, the FDA said.

Ixchiq's green-light by the US drug regulator is expected to speed the vaccine's rollout in countries where the virus is most prevalent.

Chikungunya, which causes fever and severe joint pain, is generally seen in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, southeast Asia and parts of the Americas.

Since chikungunya was first identified in Tanzania in 1952, it has been recorded in more than 110 countries, according to the World Health Organization.

Symptoms can sometimes last for months or even years, but the virus is rarely fatal. There is currently no specific drug to treat chikungunya, aside from common medications for pain and fever relief.