Chiku-chiku-ngunya

Countries & territories where chikungunya
cases have been reported as of July 15th, 2014.
Does not include countries or territories with only imported cases.
Map courtesy of CDC

Since 2006, the U.S. has average 28 chikungunya (pronounced \chik-en-gun-ye) cases a year in travelers returning from countries where the disease is common, and the mosquito-borne virus was first identified in the Western Hemisphere seven months ago. But on July 17th, 2014, a man in Florida was the first to locally acquire hte disease in the continental U.S.

Transmission electron micrograph
of  numerous chikungunya virus
particles. Image courtesy of CDC

Chikungunya, a single-stranded RNA virus from the Togaviridae family, is transmitted via Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquito bites in humans.  Most people infected with the chikungunya virus will develop symptoms-which are primarily fever and joint pain-three to seven days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.  Other symptoms include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash.  It's not often a fatal disease, but the symptoms can be severe and disabling. Most recover within a week, although the joint pain can last for months.  The highest risk groups are newborns, adults above the age of 65, and those with high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease.  The good news is once a person has been infected, they are likely protected from future infections.

Aedes aegypti & Aedes albopictus.  Courtesy of CDC

Courtesy of CDC

Courtesy of CDC

The course of chikungunya is unknown, but CDC officials believe it will behave like the dengue virus, where imported cases have resulted in sporadic local transmission but not widespread outbreak.  There is no vaccine or targeted treatment for the chikungunya virus. To preven infection, the use of A/C, window and door screens or mosquito bed netting, DEET/picaridin/IR3535/oil of lemon eukalyptus/para-menthane-diol products, and long-sleeved shirts and long pants.  It is also recommended to empty standing water from containers like flower pots and buckets to reduce the number of mosquitoes outside the home.  The CDC and the Florida Department of Health aremonitoring for additional cases and consulting the public on ways to prevent chikungunya from spreading.