Incurable Virus Spread by Mosquito Found in the States
WASHINGTON D.C. (Worthy News)– The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are on high alert as a mosquito-borne virus that has no cure or treatment has been found in at least six states. The virus called chikungunya was brought into the country by infected travelers, who had recently been to the Caribbean.
The malaria-like symptoms reportedly start in three to seven days after the mosquito bite, and usually lasts about a week. The virus is known to cause fever, headaches, vomiting, rash, and severe joint pain. In some cases, severe joint pain lasts for years. While the virus cannot kill a person, doctors say symptoms can be so severe that patients often wish they were dead after contracting it.
The CDC reports they have already confirmed 39 cases, and the summer is just beginning.
The CDC warns of the risk of infected travelers spreading the disease through the continental U.S. still exists.
As of now, only a few isolated cases of chikungunya have been confirmed in the U.S., and there have been no confirmed reports of sustained transmission, so Americans do not need to worry yet. However, doctors say it’s only a matter of time before it makes its way to the States.
According to WHO, Chikungunya was first discovered in 1952 in Tanzania. Since then it’s been found in nearly 40 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas.