Chikungunya is the latest virus you probably have never heard of. Carried by a couple of species of mosquito (both of which are found in the United States) and first described in Africa in 1952, the virus causes an abrupt onset of fever and severe joint pain (arthralgia) that may become chronic. Since that time, chikungunya has been found to be widespread in both Africa and Asia, and has now spread to the Caribbean islands and a few states in the U.S.
According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), since 2004 the virus has infected more than two million people in Africa alone. Last year PAHO/WHO reported confirmation of the first cases of chikungunya in the Americas that were not caused by travelers returning from infected areas. This means that the virus has become established in those areas.
And not only has it become established, it appears to be flourishing, if the number of cases is any indication. Again, according to PAHO, in May, 2014 there were nearly 56,000 confirmed and suspected cases in the Caribbean. But as of this week, the agency reports nearly 4,600 confirmed and 165,990 suspected cases of the virus nearly 171,000 cases in all. This represents a three-fold increase in less than a month.
In addition to those reports, cases have also been reported in Puerto Rico, Florida and Virginia some from local transmissions. As noted above, this virus is carried by mosquitoes which are found in the United States, so it is likely that more cases will be reported.
At present, there is no cure and no vaccine against this virus, so prevention of mosquito bites is the only means of avoiding the disease. To do so, it is important to remove standing water, which is where mosquitoes breed, and to use an effective mosquito repellent, such as one containing DEET. For more tips, see ACSH s Summer Tips.
ACSH s Dr. Ruth Kava commented: We recently reported on new research to prevent malaria another mosquito-borne disease. This involves genetically engineering the mosquito so that only males are produced, which don t bite and thus can t spread the disease. Perhaps a system like this would also work for the species that carry the chikungunya virus. It s just one more example of how genetic engineering can contribute to human health.