New York health officials confirm state’s first locally acquired case of chikungunya virus
MINEOLA, New York — MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) — A person living in New York has tested positive for the chikungunya virus, which state health officials say is the first reported transmission of the mosquito-borne disease in the United States in six years.
The state Department of Health said Tuesday that the virus, which has spread to China and elsewhere, has been identified in a person living in Nassau County on Long Island.
The county health department, in a separate statement, said the person began experiencing symptoms in August after traveling outside the area, but not out of the country.
It is unclear how the person, who authorities have not named, contracted the virus.
Health officials say the person was likely bitten by an infected mosquito, but they also say the virus has not been detected in local mosquito pools and there is no evidence of ongoing transmission.
The type of mosquito known to carry chikungunya is found in parts of the New York metropolitan area, including suburban Long Island. The disease cannot be transmitted directly from one person to another.
Because mosquitoes are less active during fall’s cooler temperatures, the current risk of transmission is “very low,” state Health Commissioner James McDonald said.
Chikungunya is primarily found in tropical and subtropical regions, according to the state health department. Its symptoms include fever and joint pain, headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, and skin rashes.
The disease is rarely fatal and most patients recover within a week, although newborns, the elderly and people with chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure and diabetes are at greater risk, the agency said.
The United States and its territories have not had a locally acquired case of the virus since 2019.
New York state has recorded three more cases of the virus this year, although all are linked to international travel to areas where the virus is prevalent, state health officials said.
Local mosquitoes can transmit other dangerous viruses, such as West Nile, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and Jamestown Canyon viruses.
