http://bigstory.ap.org/article/painful-and-rapid-spread-new-virus-caribbean
Although the chikungunya virus was first identified in Africa in 1953, it has been limited to the Eastern Hemisphere. In December, the first locally transmitted case was documented in French St. Martin.
The virus causes headache, fever, and debilitating joint pain.
Since December, 55,000 cases of the virus have been either suspected or confirmed in the islands. It has also reached the South American Mainland.
Although the chikungunya virus was first identified in Africa in 1953, it has been limited to the Eastern Hemisphere. In December, the first locally transmitted case was documented in French St. Martin.
The virus causes headache, fever, and debilitating joint pain.
Since December, 55,000 cases of the virus have been either suspected or confirmed in the islands. It has also reached the South American Mainland.
It is spread by two types of mosquitoes, which are in abundance in the Caribbean. Those two types of mosquitoes are also found in the southern and eastern U.S. and health officials believe it is just a matter of time before the virus spreads to the U.S. via travel.One thing is certain: The virus has found fertile ground in the Caribbean. The Pan American Health Organization reports more than 55,000 suspected and confirmed cases since December throughout the islands. It has also reached French Guiana, the first confirmed transmission on the South American mainland.
The Pan American Health Organization says seven people in the Caribbean with chikungunya have died during the outbreak but they had underlying health issues that likely contributed to their death.
"It's building up like a snowball because of the constant movement of people," said Jacqueline Medina, a specialist at the Instituto Technologico university in the Dominican Republic, where some hospitals report more than 100 new cases per day.
Authorities are attempting to control mosquitoes throughout the Caribbean, from dense urban neighborhoods to beach resorts. There have been no confirmed cases of local transmission of chikungunya on the U.S. mainland, but experts say the high number of travelers to the region means that could change as early as this summer.
Last edited: