[JayMillz]

Chikungunya is already a serious concern in places like the Dominican Republic. Chikungunya is an arthropod-borne virus, of the genus Alphavirus, that is transmitted to humans by virus-carrying Aedes mosquitoes.

CHIKV causes an illness with an acute febrile phase lasting two to five days, followed by a longer period of joint pains in the extremities; this pain may persist for years in some cases.

The best means of prevention is overall mosquito control and in addition, the avoidance of bites by any infected mosquitoes. There is no specific treatment but medications can be used to reduce symptoms. Rest and fluids may also be useful.

The links below provide more detail:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/body/c...-outbreak/

http://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/

[Rutting Elephant]

They compare it to West Nile, which kills 100 or so Americans a year.
Terrifying.

[jamaicabound]

Dont ever watch monsters inside me before traveling I was driving myself nuts about sandflies on my last trip lol

[Alan Partridge]

(07-10-2014 11:33 AM)JayMillz Wrote:  

Chikungunya is already a serious concern in places like the Dominican Republic. Chikungunya is an arthropod-borne virus, of the genus Alphavirus, that is transmitted to humans by virus-carrying Aedes mosquitoes.

"DIVERSITY IS OUR STRENGTH! Deadly virususes be damned!" - Every Democrat right before they return to their 97% white, wealthy neighborhood.

[JayMillz]

http://news.yahoo.com/puerto-rico-declar...14705.html

Puerto Rico declares chikungunya epidemic

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Health officials in Puerto Rico on Thursday declared an epidemic of the mosquito-borne virus known as chikungunya, which was introduced into the Caribbean region late last year.

Health Secretary Ana Rius said that more than 200 cases had been confirmed on the island as of June 25 and that the majority of them were reported in the capital of San Juan and nearby areas.

The first case of chikungunya in the U.S. territory was reported in late May.

Also on Thursday, officials in Jamaica reported the island's first confirmed case. The chief medical officer, Dr. Kevin Harvey, said the virus was found in a person who had recently traveled to a country where there have been locally transmitted cases.

In Florida, health officials reported the first domestically acquired chikungunya infections in the United States. Officials said it happened in two cases, both of which involved a person infected with the virus after visiting the Caribbean being bitten again by an uninfected mosquito in Florida, which then transmitted the illness further.

Across the Caribbean, the Pan American Health Organization recorded more than 354,000 suspected and confirmed cases as of July 11. The Western Hemisphere's first locally transmitted case was confirmed in December in the French Caribbean territory of St. Martin.

Chikungunya was first identified in Africa in 1953. It causes a high fever and severe pain in the joints, but is rarely fatal. There is no vaccine, and it mainly is treated with pain medication.

[TravelerKai]

God I hate mosquitoes! They kill more people than any other animal on Earth.