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First locally acquired chikungunya case reported in Texas
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For the first time, a locally acquired case of chikungunya has been reported in Texas.
A Cameron County resident with no history of travel became sick with the mosquito-borne virus last November and was diagnosed with a lab test in January, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). The case was not reported to the DSHS until April, the department said. It was confirmed by the CDC last week.
“Because this case was contracted more than 6 months ago and mosquito surveillance has not found chikungunya in local mosquitoes, the primary risk of infection remains related to travel,” the DSHS said in a statement.
Until now, all reported cases of chikungunya in Texas — including 43 in 2015 — were acquired in other countries. In fact, all 679 reported cases of the illness in the United States last year were related to travel, according to CDC numbers published in January.
Chikungunya is transmitted to people via the bite of an infected mosquito — most often an Aedes aegypti or A. albopictus — and can cause severe joint pain that can last for months or even years, although most patients fully recover. A. aegypti also is the primary vector of Zika virus and dengue virus.
Dengue caused an outbreak in southern Texas in 2013 that resulted in 53 confirmed cases, about half of them locally acquired. Researchers recently determined that parts of southern Texas and Florida were more at risk for local outbreaks of Zika than anywhere else in the U.S. due to climate, a strong potential for travel-related virus introduction and other factors.
Cameron County, encompassing Brownsville, is the southernmost county in Texas.
The DSHS reminded laboratories and health care providers to report cases of mosquito-borne viruses, as required, within 1 week “so health officials will have the information they need to make decisions that will protect public health.” The department encouraged people to protect themselves against mosquito bites at home and while traveling. – by Gerard Gallagher