France, March 21 -- A mosquito-borne disease called chikungunya has killed two elderly people on France's Reunion Island, local authorities said on Friday.

An 86-year-old and a 96-year-old died last week from the virus, which causes fever and severe joint pain.

Nearly 9,000 cases have been reported on the French Indian Ocean island since August 2024.

With infections rising earlier this month, local officials activated Orsec Plan 4 - an emergency response for medium-intensity epidemics.

"The epidemic has accelerated in recent weeks and is now spreading throughout the country," authorities said on Friday.Health response

Health workers have been deployed across the island alongside municipal teams to carry out daily fumigation operation...