A person on Long Island has been infected with the mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus, the first time someone has caught the disease in New York, state health officials said.
Chikungunya disease is most common in tropical and subtropical regions and is rarely fatal, according to the state health department. The virus doesn’t spread from person to person but can cause fever, joint pain and swelling, headaches, muscle pain and rashes.
Officials confirmed the case through lab testing in Nassau County, but said they’re still investigating exactly where the person became infected. The Aedes albopictus mosquito that transmits Chikungunya is present in parts of downstate New York, according to the health department.
The United States has not reported a locally acquired case of Chikungunya sin