Mosquitos spreading extremely debilitating Chikungunya Virus through Caribbean and Florida

"You feel it in your bones, your fingers and your hands," say the victims of this extremely debilitating, but rarely fatal, virus that is spreading throughout the Caribbean. The disease is from Africa and Asia where outbreaks have occurred, but since the first Caribbean case was confirmed in December, there are now thousands of cases and four confirmed cases have now popped up in Florida. The disease is spread by mosquitoes. The symptoms include searing headaches, burning fever, and so much pain in the hands and feet that a person can barely walk or use their hands. It's like a sudden onset of arthritis mixed with a bad case of the flu. Doesn't sound like a very fun illness to catch. One 66-year-old lady said that she had never felt so sick in her entire life.

It's been confirmed that there are 55,000 cases throughout the Caribbean and not only has the disease spread into Florida now but it has also reached French Guiana, the first South American mainland nation to have cases. I'm not sure how far north or south from the tropics this disease will spread, but forecasters predict a major surge of the disease this summer.

Those pesty little mosquitoes just got a whole lot pestier.

The two species of mosquitoes that spread chikungunya are found in the southern and eastern United States and the first local transmissions could occur this summer given the large number of U.S. travelers to the Caribbean, Nasci said. Already, the Florida Department of Health has reported at least four imported cases from travelers to Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Dominica.

"What we're seeing now is an increase in the number of infected travelers coming from the Caribbean, which is expected because there's a lot of U.S. travel, a lot of vacation travel, a lot of work travel," he said.

Source

There is some positive news about this horrible disease. It rarely kills and once a person is infected and his immune system clears the disease, the person recovers and appears to be immuned for life. Once you get the Chick virus, you don't get it again.

I live in Brevard County Fla. (was once considered for the name Mosquito County, Brevard won out, true!)

that being said I have always used copious amounts of repellant DEET be damned!

Thank you for the heads up OP!

Looks like I'll be sticking to the plan again this season.

Uhhhggg that sounds horrible...I live in Orlando and I am gonna be getting some serious deet containing bug spray...I can not imagine how bad that would feel to keep me from walking and taking care of myself. I have only been that sick once before and I slept 3 days straight...like I was not awake for almost a straight combined 70 hours.