Health officials in New York confirmed a case of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne virus, in a 60-year-old woman from Long Island. The woman, who had not traveled outside the area, is believed to have contracted the disease locally, marking what authorities say could be the first such case in New York.
Dr. Eric Cioe-Pena of Northwell Center for Global Health noted that chikungunya typically spreads through travel to regions with infected mosquitoes, such as tropical areas. However, he suggested prolonged warmer temperatures may have allowed the virus-carrying mosquito to establish itself in the northeastern U.S. “Its cousin is now also able to carry some of these viruses that are all in the same category as yellow fever,” Cioe-Pena said.
The virus causes symptoms including fever, chills, and severe joint pain, with some patients experiencing chronic arthritis lasting months or years. It is transmitted exclusively through mosquito bites, not person-to-person contact.
Meanwhile, the CDC issued a Level 2 travel warning for Cuba amid a chikungunya outbreak, though officials there have not disclosed exact case numbers. The virus has also surged in South America, with Brazil reporting 210,000 cases. Globally, over 317,000 cases and 135 deaths were recorded this year, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.