MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Mosquito-borne Chikunguna cases reported in Miami
Chikungunya symptoms begin three to seven days after being bitten by an infected mosquito The viral mosquito-borne disease, Chikunguna, has been confirmed in three counties of the state of Florida. According to the Florida Department of Health, the women who recently travelled to the Caribbean include a 29-year-old from Broward County.
A 30-year-old woman in Miami-Dade County and a 44-year-old woman in Hillsborough County have also been diagnosed with the disease.
Symptoms of Chikunguna usually begin three to seven days after being bitten by an infected mosquito and can include fever and severe joint pains, often in the hands and feet, according to the department. Other symptoms can include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling or rash.
People at increased risk for severe disease include newborns exposed during delivery, those 65 or older and people with medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease.
The mosquito-borne illness was first detected in the Caribbean in December 2013.
To date the Chikungunya virus has been confirmed in Anguilla, Aruba, Virgin Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Haiti, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St Barthelemy, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Maarten (Dutch) and St Martin (French).
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Read all commentsI remember a few on here taking the piss about this disease but now it is getting closer to home I bet they are crapping themselves. And rightly too.
May 21st, 2014 - 11:33 am 0all these diseases,
May 21st, 2014 - 12:22 pm 0perhaps the zombies really will take over,
but as the death toll rises, the jokes wear thin and panic will soon rear its ugly head..
Malaria is massively back on the rise in Venezuela.
May 21st, 2014 - 12:34 pm 0If this disease also spreads there it could be a disaster.
At least the USA has not only the resources, but the drive, to combat this.
It is the opposite south of the Caribbean.
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