Chikungunya Disease, 2015

Chikungunya virus is a mosquito-borne alphavirus found in Africa, Asia, and more recently, Europe. In late 2013, locally acquired cases appeared for the first time in the Americas, on the Caribbean island of St. Martin. The virus is transmitted by the same Aedes spp. mosquitoes (Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus)that also transmit the dengue and Zika viruses.

Unlike many other mosquito-borne viruses, most people who are infected with Chikungunya develop symptoms. The most common symptoms are fever and joint pain, but patients may also experience headache, muscle aches, or rash. Symptoms usually begin 3-7 days after a person is bitten by an infected mosquito, and most recover within a week. Joint pain may persist for weeks to years after the initial illness.

In 2015, 15 chikungunya cases were reported in Minnesota residents. The median case age was 44 years (range, 13 to 69 years). Symptom onsets occurred from early January through mid-September. All of the cases represented imported infections acquired abroad, and all had traveled to either Central America (8), Mexico (4), or the Caribbean (3). Nationwide, human cases of chikungunya were reported from 44 states. All cases in U.S. residents were acquired while traveling abroad.

• For up to date information see>> Mosquito-borne Diseases
• Full issue>> Annual Summary of Communicable Diseases Reported to the Minnesota Department of Health, 2015