Here’s the press release from Buncombe County Health & Human Services:
Buncombe County Health & Human Services officials have reported the county’s first case of Chikungunya, a virus transmitted by mosquitoes, making it the third confirmed case in North Carolina. The Buncombe resident contracted the illness while traveling with a group to Haiti, which is located in an area where outbreaks of the disease have been reported. The disease is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. It is not transmitted from person to person. At this time, all cases in the United States have been linked to returning travelers.
Most people infected with this virus will get sick. Symptoms include:
· Fever
· Joint pain and swelling
· Headache
· Muscle pain
· Rash
Symptoms usually begin 3 – 7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Many people have a sudden fever and joint pain. Most feel better within a week. Some have joint pain that lasts for months. Newborns exposed during delivery, adults over 65 years and people with chronic medical condition have a greater risk of having a severe form of the disease.
Officials encourage anyone traveling to the Caribbean, East Africa and the Western Pacific region to be aware of Chikungunya illness and ways to prevent it.
What we do matters. We all need to do our part to prevent getting diseases transmitted by mosquitoes.
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