Chikunganya Virus
After infecting hundreds of thousands of people in the Caribbean and Central America, Chikungunya had spread to the United States. Like Dengue fever, the Chikungunya virus is carried by the aedes mosquito. The initial symptoms is an acute fever phase for the duration of two to five days. The next stage is a longer period of debilitating joint pain. This pain may last for years in some cases. Chikungunya is an African word meaning "to become contorted". The illness was first identified in Tanzania in 1952.
American Threat
Bloomberg reported on 1 Oct 2014 that 11 cases have been confirmed as originating in Florida. Medical and environmental experts were concern that this may be the beginning of the type of explosive growth as the disease has no vaccine or cure. They are debating methods to contain the outbreak before it takes off. The disease is not known to fatal but more than 100 people have died in the Western Hemisphere since December, according to the Pan American Health Organization.
Outbreak Statistics
According to Walter Tabachnick, the director of the Florida Medical Entymology Laboratory, it could infect 10,000 people in that Florida alone. His estimate is based on the exponential growth of other outbreaks. According to the Pan American Health Organization more than 700,000 people were suspected of being infected with the virus in South America, Central America and the Caribbean in since it appeared. "Ten thousand cases would be a disaster in the terms of, these are people that are sick enough that they’re reporting to their doctors in the hospital," Tabachnick said by telephone. "So even our medical facilities could be overwhelmed."
Divided Opinions
"In a way it's surprising it hasn't been here yet," said Scott Weaver, a professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Weaver expected the small focal outbreak. Other medical experts suggest that any outbreak will lessen during the Florida winter when mosquitoes disappear. Durland Fish believe that disease spread through the Caribbean and Central America because many countries in that region partly due to lack the financial resources or sophisticated mosquito killing systems. However, he warned that even with money and insect-killing expertise, Chikungunya may be hard to contain. Fish is, a professor of epidemiology at Yale University who studied Chikungunya's spread on the Caribbean island of Dominica.
Prevention Techniques.
Since there is no cure for this disease, prevention is the only method to combat it. The best means of prevention is overall mosquito control. Standing water containers are the known breeding ground for these mosquitoes. Water buckets at yards or clogged gutters are conducive for the mosquitoes to lay eggs. No specific treatment is known. Rest and fluids may also be useful. Treatment includes hydration, rest and medicine that reduces fever or pain such ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
