Officials issue warning after confirming painful mosquito-borne virus is back in US after six years
Topics: Chikungunya virus, Health, New York, China
William Morgan
Featured Image Credit: DOUGLAS MAGNO/Getty
Topics: Chikungunya virus, Health, New York, China
Health officials have confirmed the first US-transmitted case of an extremely painful virus in over half a decade, raising concerns about the community transmission of the debilitating illness.
This follows three other cases of the mosquito-borne virus in New York alone, which officials believe got their infection in other countries before returning to the US. However, this fourth case is believed to be the first to have been infected at home and not abroad.
The New York State health department said in a statement: “An investigation suggests that the individual likely contracted the virus following a bite from an infected mosquito. While the case is classified as locally acquired based on current information, the precise source of exposure is not known.”
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The virus is known as chikungunya and it's a mosquito-borne viral disease that was first indentified in Tanzania back in the 1950s. Currently, China is struggling to contain a major chikungunya outbreak, with thousands of infections across the populous nation and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) advising all travelers to 'take precautions' when traveling to the region and be mindful of the virus' symptoms.
Signs of a chikungunya infection include a headache, rash, swollen joints and muscle pain, with sufferers experiencing these symptoms for weeks, or even months, at a time.
Typically, these signs of infection emerge three to seven days after infection and most people recover within a week. But for some, the illness can become acute and cause joint problems that persist for months.
New York's State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald has called on the public to 'take simple precautions to protect themselves and their families from mosquito bites,' and so prevent further infections of the virus.
The CDC is advising those engaged in international travel to wear long-sleeved shirts and insect repellent when visiting affected countries, such as China.
Pregnant people are cautioned against all travel to these areas due to the risk the virus poses unborn children. There are no known treatments for the virus, though the symptoms can be managed.
However, two effective vaccines against chikungunya are available and can be used in anyone over the age of 12 at risk of infection from international travel.
Anyone flying to China is at a low risk of serious illness from the virus, which is rarely fatal, and spread through mosquito bite. However, for a small number of patients, the symptoms can become chronic.
A study was carried out monitoring those six years after being infected and revealed that they had developed chronic pain in their joints and severe fatigue.
Speaking to People, a 62-year-old woman described how her infection had made her life painful and difficult, saying: “When I come home from work in the afternoon, I’m like a handicapped woman. I think that a 100 year old woman walks better than me.”