Chikungunya virus cases confirmed in NC, US Virgin Islands

[Bosonic]

Source: AP

A nasty mosquito-borne virus that has been spreading rapidly in the Caribbean has made its way to the U.S. Virgin Islands and North Carolina, authorities said.

Health officials in the U.S. Caribbean territory said they confirmed the islands' first locally transmitted case of chikungunya. They did not disclose any information about the patient. A second patient in the three-island territory was infected elsewhere.

One case has been confirmed in North Carolina, Tennessee is also looking into possible confirmations. Officials believe the disease is being imported by Americans traveling to the Caribbean.

From the island of St. Croix, Health Commissioner Darice Plaskett said local authorities were working closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies to "raise awareness and prevent the spread of the virus."

Read more: http://abc7chicago.com/health/chikungunya-virus-cases-confirmed-in-nc-us-virgin-islands-/111576/

[lostincalifornia]

1. Not good at all. No real treatment, just supportive

[hatrack]

2. Good thing there's no insect vector to spread this emerging viral disease . . . oh, wait . . .

I'm just waiting for malaria to return. Won't that be fun?

[Warpy]

3. My mother had malaria, caught it in Florida in the 40s

before mosquito abatement with DDT really got started.

Chikungunya is worse.

Neither kills healthy adults. They just make you want to die.

We know better ways to control mosquitos, including a type of birth control that makes female eggs die so that 95% of mosquitos that hatch are males. Males don't bite. They'll just live frustrated male mosquito lives and die virgins.

The spread of these two diseases along with dengue (which can kill healthy adults) will likely get these programs out of the labs and into the biosphere.

It will be miserable to live in areas with hot, humid summers and warm winters until they do.