Iredell Co. resident confirmed as 16th NC case of chikungunya

IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — North Carolina's 16th case of chikungunya was confirmed in an Iredell County resident who recently traveled out of the country.
 
The reported cases of the viral infection have not been acquired in North Carolina, according to officials with Iredell County Health Department.
 
Travelers to affected areas in Africa, Asia, the islands of the Indian Ocean, Western Pacific, the Caribbean and since July 2013, Florida, can acquire the virus.

Chikungunya virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, and the Asian tiger mosquito that is commonly found in North Carolina could effectively transmit this virus.
 
Symptoms of chikungunya typically include the sudden onset of fever and severe, often disabling, joint pains in the hands and feet. Symptoms usually begin three to seven days after being bitten by an infected
mosquito.
 
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health and Iredell County Health Department advise people traveling to countries where chikungunya transmission occurs to taken precautions in preventing mosquito bites, and contact a medical provider if they develop any symptoms upon their return home.
 
The best way to prevent chikungunya virus and all diseases transmitted by mosquitoes is to avoid mosquito bites.

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