Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) has confirmed the third 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 key to avoid CHIKV.
As of September 23, a total of 1,125 chikungunya virus disease cases have been reported to ArboNET from U.S. states. 30 imported cases have been reported from Texas. Eleven locally-transmitted cases have been reported from Florida.
