Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) has confirmed the fourth case of imported Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in Dallas County in 2014. The patient was infected with the virus during recent travel to an endemic country. For medical confidentiality and personal privacy reasons, DCHHS does not provide additional identifying information.
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is transmitted to people by mosquitoes. The virus causes high fever and severe joint pain that start suddenly. It can also cause headache, muscle pain and rash. CHIKV does not often result in death, but the
symptoms can be disabling, and some people may get severe complications. There is no specific medication available to treat CHIKV and there is not a vaccine. Avoiding mosquito bites is the best way to avoid CHIKV.
As of Nov. 4, the state of Texas has reported 48 chikungunya cases this year, all of them imported.
Nationally, as of November 4, a total of 1,627 chikungunya virus disease cases have been reported to ArboNET from U.S. states. Eleven locally-transmitted cases have been reported from Florida.
For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page
