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3h ago

New York Confirms First Locally Acquired Chikungunya Case Since 2019 in the U.S.

Health officials say mosquito testing has found no virus, leaving the public risk very low as mosquito season winds down.

An Aedes aegypti mosquito is pictured at a laboratory of the Center for Parasitological and Vector Studies (CEPAVE) of the national scientific research institute CONICET, in La Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, on March 26, 2024. Researchers at CONICET are studying the biology, genetic characteristics and behaviour of the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, transmitter of dengue, zika and chikungunya, and creating biological control strategies as Argentina is facing a significant growing number of dengue cases. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP) (Photo by LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • State lab testing at the Wadsworth Center confirmed infection in a Nassau County resident whose symptoms began in August.
  • Investigators say the patient reported no international travel and likely contracted the virus from the bite of an infected mosquito.
  • Routine surveillance by state and New York City health laboratories has not detected chikungunya in any mosquito pools.
  • Aedes albopictus mosquitoes capable of transmitting the virus are present in parts of downstate New York, allowing occasional local spread after travel-related introductions.
  • Officials advise using EPA-registered repellents, wearing long sleeves, and removing standing water as monitoring continues, noting three other New York cases this year were travel-associated.