The Florida Department of Health (DOH) reported six additional travel-associated chikungunya cases during the past week, bringing the total imported cases to 87 in 2014. We were also informed of the first two locally acquired chikungunya cases in Florida and the United States that were acquired in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties.

Image/CIA
Image/CIA

Concerning imported cases in the state of Florida, Haiti is far and away the most common country of origin for the travel associated infections accounting for 75% of cases. The breakdown for imported chikungunya cases is as follows:

Countries of origin were: Dominica, Dominican Republic (18), Haiti (65), Martinique (2), and Puerto Rico. Counties reporting cases were: Alachua, Brevard, Broward (21), Charlotte, Clay (2), Duval (2), Flagler, Hillsborough (5), Lake, Lee, Leon (2), Miami-Dade (10), Okaloosa, Orange (8), Osceola (4), Palm Beach (13), Pasco, Pinellas (2), Polk (5), Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, and Volusia.

In addition to the chikungunya cases, Florida also reported an addition imported dengue fever case was reported in Brevard County, bringing this total to 27. Three additional imported malaria cases were also reported during the the past week bringing that total to 28.

Of the malaria cases, health officials provide the breakdown by Plasmodium spp.: Nineteen cases (68%) were diagnosed with Plasmodium falciparum. Six cases (21%) were diagnosed with Plasmodium vivax. Two case (7%) was diagnosed with Plasmodium malariae. One case (4%) was diagnosed with Plasmodium ovale. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page