Chikengunya Case in Polk County
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
By: Matthew Peddie

June 25th, 2014 | WMFE, Orlando- Florida Health officials say they expect to see more cases of chikengunya appear in the state over the summer. Polk County recently confirmed its first case of the mosquito borne illness

[Aedes albopictus mosquitoes are one of the species which transmit the chikengunya virus. Image: CDC]

Chikengunya is spread by bites from infected mosquitos and causes high fever and joint pain.

The Polk County patient is the 48^th case in Florida.

Florida Department of Health spokesperson Scott Sjoblom says the man picked up the disease in the Caribbean.

And he says with travel season underway, it won’t be the last case in the state this summer.

“As those folks come back we’re going to continue to see the numbers increase for the time being,”

So far, says Sjoblom, no one has contracted chikengunya from a mosquito bite here in Florida. 

“While we’ve seen 48 cases of chikungunya which have been imported, it’s important to note that we have not seen any locally acquired cases yet, which would mean the disease had actually made the transition to the United States.”

Sjoblom says the Polk County patient made a full recovery.

Chikengunya causes sudden fever and severe joint pain.

Most patients recover within weeks, but the disease can cause complications in young children and the elderly.