New York health officials have confirmed the state's first locally acquired case of chikungunya virus , marking the first such case in the United States in over five years. The New York State Department of Health announced on Tuesday (October 14) that laboratory testing identified the virus in a resident of Nassau County on Long Island.

The individual began experiencing symptoms in August after traveling outside the region but not out of the country. While the exact source of exposure remains unknown, officials believe the person likely contracted the virus from a mosquito bite. The Aedes albopictus mosquito, known to carry chikungunya, is present in parts of the New York City metropolitan area, including Long Island. However, routine testing has not detected the virus in local mosqui

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