America
Chikungunya virus may soon spread to US
Washington, March 27
The mosquito-borne chikungunya virus may soon spread to the US, predicts a new study.
The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine emphasised on stepping up efforts to reduce mosquito population.
"Chikungunya
continues to be a major threat to public health around the world," said
researcher Scott Weaver from the University of Texas Medical Branch at
Galveston.
Other than anti-inflammatory drugs to control symptoms
and joint swelling, there are no specific therapies to treat infected
persons and no licensed vaccines to prevent chikungunya fever, the
researchers pointed out.
"Until there is a treatment or vaccine,
the control of chikungunya fever will rely on mosquito reduction and
limiting the contact between humans and the two virus-carrying
mosquitoes -- Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus," Weaver added.
These
efforts generally focus on reducing or treating standing water and
water storage containers where eggs are laid and larvae develop as well
as wearing protective clothing and/or insect repellent.
Since
chikungunya was first identified in 1952 in present-day Tanzania, the
virus has been confirmed in other countries in Africa, Asia, The South
Pacific and Europe. In December 2013, the first locally acquired case of
chikungunya in the Americas was reported in the Caribbean.
Since then, chikungunya has been identified in 44 countries or territories throughout the Americas, the study said.
Symptoms
appear about three days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. The
most common symptoms and signs are fever and severe joint pain and may
include headache, arthritis, muscle pain, weakness and rash.
People
at increased risk for severe disease include young children, older
adults and people with medical conditions such as diabetes or heart
disease, the researchers pointed out.