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A mosquito-borne virus has led to a widespread outbreak in China – but could it show up in the U.S.?
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Level 2 alert on Wednesday for an outbreak of chikungunya virus in the Guangdong Province, where health officials have reported more than 7,000 cases, per the Associated Press (AP).
There are efforts underway to control the mosquitoes spreading the virus, including the use of nets, insecticide and drones, the report stated.
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Chikungunya cases have also been spreading throughout Europe, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
The virus is transmitted when a mosquito feeds on an infected person and then bites someone else.
Dr. Paul Sax, clinical director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said an outbreak in the U.S. is unlikely.
Chikungunya is a predominantly tropical virus spread through Aedes mosquitoes, which can be found in the southern United States.
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“The reason why we don’t have lots of chikungunya, dengue or Zika in the United States is that there isn’t that many of those mosquitoes here,” Sax said.
“To really sustain an outbreak of chikungunya in the United States, you need to have a lot more people with chikungunya. And we only occasionally have people with that.”
“If there isn’t very much circulating chikungunya in our community, we’re not going to see a sustained epidemic.”
It is mainly Americans who have recently traveled to highly endemic areas of the world who could potentially contract chikungunya, the expert noted — and then they would have to be bitten by mosquitoes that spread it to others.
“So, it’s very unlikely to have a big outbreak, but if we were to have an outbreak – it’s most likely to occur in places like Florida, Louisiana and Texas,” Sax said.
There was a recent case of chikungunya at Brigham and Women’s hospital involving a patient who had traveled to Bolivia, the doctor shared.
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“She contracted it there and then came back here and was diagnosed here,” he said.
“But that person then has to be bitten by an Aedes mosquito, which then transmits it to another person … If there isn’t very much circulating chikungunya in our community, we’re not going to see a sustained epidemic.”
How to recognize chikungunya
Symptoms of the chikungunya virus typically include fever, headache and severe joint pain.
The joint pain can last weeks or even months after the initial infection, Sax shared.
There is no antiviral treatment for chikungunya, but some patients may see a joint specialist who can prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs.
Over-the-counter anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen can also help relieve symptoms, according to Sax.
Two vaccines also exist – IXCHIQ and VIMKUNYA – which are a popular choice for those who travel to highly endemic regions.
Dr. Neil Maniar, Ph.D., professor of public health practice in the Department of Public Health & Health Sciences at Northeastern University in Boston, agreed that the risk of chikungunya in the U.S. is low.
In a separate interview with Fox News Digital, Maniar suggested that the outbreak in China is most likely related to their monsoon season, as pests like mosquitoes and even ticks thrive in warm, wet environments.
The expert encouraged people to take proper precautions when traveling or visiting tropical areas, even in the U.S.
Those include using bug repellent, wearing long pants and receiving appropriate vaccinations when traveling to affected areas.
“We’re seeing an increase in illnesses that are transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks because we’re seeing longer seasons where they can thrive,” he said.
“The population of mosquitoes and ticks is just growing … and I think that’s something we should all pay attention to.”
Fox News Digital’s Melissa Rudy contributed to this report.
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