Chikungunya Virus
The Health Secretariat has confirmed the first Mexican case of a person infected with the chikungunya virus, a disease like dengue that has spread in recent weeks to several countries in Central America and the Caribbean.
Health authorities on June 20 diagnosed a woman in Jalisco state after she presented with chikungunya symptoms such as fever and joint pain, which are very similar to those of dengue fever.
Tests confirmed that she contracted the virus, apparently when she traveled to a May sports competition in in Antigua and Barbuda, a Caribbean country that has seen cases of this rarely fatal disease.
The woman is under medical observation and in stable condition, the federal Health Secretariat reported this Thursday.
Symptoms and Outbreak Areas:
According to the CDC.
Chikungunya (pronunciation: chik-en-gun-ye) virus is transmitted to people by mosquitoes. The most common symptoms of chikungunya virus infection are fever and joint pain. Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash.
Outbreaks have occurred in countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Indian and Pacific Oceans. In late 2013, chikungunya virus was found for the first time in the Americas on islands in the Caribbean.
There is a risk that the virus will be imported to new areas by infected travelers. There is no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat chikungunya virus infection. Travelers can protect themselves by preventing mosquito bites. When traveling to countries with chikungunya virus, use insect repellent, wear long sleeves and pants, and stay in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens.
