Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) has confirmed the sixth case of imported Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in Dallas County in 2014. The patient was infected with the virus during travel to El Salvador.
Image/David Benbennick via Wikimedia Commons
For medical confidentiality and personal privacy reasons, DCHHS does not provide additional identifying information.
The state of Texas has reported 64 imported chikungunya cases. As of December 16, a total of 2,021 chikungunya virus disease cases have been reported to the CDC. 11 cases were locally acquired and were all from Florida.
El Salvador has reported more than 135,000 local transmission cases this year, the most in Central America.
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.
