Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Chikungunya Virus Outbreak in the Caribbean



For a very long time, as far back as 1952 since its discovery, there have been reported cases of the Chikungunya disease in continents like Asia, Africa and Europe. For the first time, sometime in late December 2013, an outbreak of the Chikungunya was reported from the French part of the Island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean region.

According to CDC, as of August 11, 2014, the following Caribbean countries have reported cases of Chikungunya; Anguilla, Antigua, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin (French), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Maarten (Dutch), Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands

CDC recommends that travelers to the Caribbean protect themselves from mosquito bites. Some travelers may be more likely to
get Chikungunya have severe disease, or be at higher risk for other reasons. CDC advises travelers in high-risk groups to discuss their travel plans with their health care provider. These groups include the following: people who have arthritis, people with serious underlying medical conditions (such as high blood pressure, heart disease, or diabetes), people older than 65, women who are late in their pregnancies, because of the risk to babies born at the time their mother is sick, long-term travelers, including missionaries and humanitarian aid workers and people visiting friends and relatives, people who might have difficulty avoiding mosquito bites, such as those planning to spend a lot of time outdoors or staying in rooms without window screens or air conditioning.

What is Chikungunya disease?
Facts about Chikungunya disease.

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Chikungunya Virus Outbreak in the Caribbean

For a very long time, as far back as 1952 since its discovery, there have been reported cases of the Chikungunya disease in continents like ...