The number of imported and locally acquired chikungunya cases continue their slow rise in Venezuela, according to a El Universal report Tuesday. General Office of Environmental Health chief, Jesus Toro said of the 94 total cases reported to date, 35, or 37% of cases were locally acquired.
Only eight infections were reported in the past week.
Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes such as Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. It can cause high fever, join and muscle pain, and headache. Chikungunya does not often result in death, but the joint pain may last for months or years and may become a cause of chronic pain and disability. There is no specific treatment for chikungunya infection, nor any vaccine to prevent it. Pending the development of a new vaccine, the only effective means of prevention is to protect individuals against mosquito bites.
