What is the chikungunya virus circulating in the US for the first time in years?

a person living in the suburbs of new york city Have tested positive for chikungunya, a mosquito-borne virus often seen South America and has not aired on the US mainland for a decade.

Health officials said the virus, which often causes fever and joint pain, was identified in a patient long Island Who began experiencing symptoms in August after traveling outside the region, but not the country.

The patient probably got the virus from a mosquito bite, but it is not clear where. The virus has not been found in local mosquito pools and does not spread directly from person to person.

Here’s what you need to know about chikungunya:

What is Chikungunya?

Chikungunya is a disease caused by the virus of the same name.

Chikungunya virus was first identified in sick people during an outbreak in Tanzania in 1952. Its name is derived from a word in the Makonde language, meaning “one who bends,” due to the severe pain it causes.

Chikungunya is spread by infected mosquitoes and causes mostly mild symptoms. Most people with chikungunya recover without needing medical care after one to two weeks.

What are the symptoms of Chikungunya?

Chikungunya usually causes symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, nausea, fatigue and rash.

But in rare cases, it can cause debilitating joint pain that persists for months or years. patients People who become seriously ill often require hospitalization because of the risk of organ damage.

The World Health Organization says severe cases and deaths are rare and mostly occur in infants or elderly people with underlying health conditions.

Is there any treatment or vaccine?

There is no specific treatment for chikungunya, but health workers can treat the symptoms by giving medicines to reduce fever or reduce muscle pain.

The two vaccines have been approved in several regions, including Britain, Brazil, Canada and Europe. They are mostly targeted at travelers and are not widely available in the countries most affected by chikungunya.

Where does chikungunya usually occur?

Chikungunya causes regular outbreaks in Africa, Asia and of AmericaWith occasional small epidemics in Europe.

Nearly 317,000 cases of chikungunya have been reported as of August this year, including 135 deaths, in 16 countries and territories, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. The countries that reported the most infections were Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina and Peru.

What is happening in the United States?

The confirmed case in New York was the first locally acquired case in the United States since 2015, meaning the person was infected without traveling elsewhere. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a person was infected in Texas ten years ago. Two cases were reported in US territories in 2019.

The state health department said it is the first time a locally acquired case has been detected in New York.

Health officials said the virus can spread when a mosquito bites an infected traveler, becomes infected and then bites another person.

Health officials said the type of mosquito known to spread chikungunya, the Aedes albopictus mosquito, is present in downstate New York, and people should take precautions such as wearing long sleeves and avoiding removing standing water from things like flower pots.

However, state Health Commissioner James McDonald said in a statement that New York is currently experiencing cool nighttime temperatures, making the risk of transmission in the region “very low.”

Although locally acquired cases have been almost negligible in recent years, the CDC tracks the number of travel-related infections in the US, including 199 in 2024 and 152 in 2023, according to agency data.

Are we seeing more outbreaks of chikungunya?

Yes.

According to Robert Jones, assistant professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the number of outbreaks has increased since 2000, as have more outbreaks of other mosquito-transmitted diseases such as dengue and Zika.

Jones said in a statement that in 2013, chikungunya was first seen in the island of St. Martin and over the next three years, cases were confirmed in nearly 50 countries in the Caribbean and the Americas, with more than 1 million suspected cases.

Jones said the risk of a chikungunya epidemic has increased due to climate change and urban expansion.

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