Brace yourself - Chikungunya rising in Caribbean; U.S. cases likely to increase The mosquito-borne chikungunya virus has now been identified in 17 countries or territories in the Caribbean and South America. As of late May, some 103,000 suspected and 4,400 laboratory-confirmed cases had been reported from these areas, with the case count almost doubling in the preceding 2 weeks. The most affected regions: the Dominican Republic, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Haiti, and Saint Martin. Twenty-eight cases have been reported in the U.S. and its territories this year — all but one among travelers returning from affected areas. The CDC warns that given the recent outbreaks, cases among U.S. travelers are likely to increase, which could result in local transmission of the virus. Clinicians should consider chikungunya virus in patients, especially travelers, with acute-onset fever and polyarthralgia, the CDC says. Treatment is palliative and may include rest, liquids, and analgesics. Clinicians should report suspected cases to their health departments.
Posted on: Fri, 06 Jun 2014 13:23:50 +0000