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Judi Lynn

(160,544 posts) Tue May 20, 2014, 02:41 AM May 2014

Health officials warn Florida resident about viral mosquito disease

Source: CBS

Health officials warn Florida resident about viral mosquito disease
Story by J. Israel Balderas / CBS 12 News
Monday, May 19 2014, 06:57 PM EDT

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - CBS 12 News has just learned that a quite painful mosquito borne virus, known around the world, but brand new to the U.S. has made its way to Florida.

As reported over the weekend, three cases of Chikungunya Fever, or ChikV, have been confirmed in Miami-Dade, Broward and Hillsborough County.

Now Palm Beach County is tracking a possible fourth case.

"We do have a case that we will be sending laboratory confirmation and we should have some results tomorrow," said Dr. Alina Alonso, medical director for the Palm Beach County Health Department.

She tells CBS 12 News her office is closely monitoring what could be the county's first possible case of a very rare virus.

Read more: http://www.cbs12.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_16000.shtml

6 replies

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Health officials warn Florida resident about viral mosquito disease (Original Post) Judi Lynn May 2014 OP

Oh oh.. stay safe Floridians! Cha May 2014 #1

"Snowbirds" please stay in FL and do not bring this stuff back north this summer. nt kelliekat44 May 2014 #2

Unless those snowbirds turn into mosquitoes enlightenment May 2014 #5

It is carried by mosquitoes and is currently in the Caribbean. McCamy Taylor May 2014 #3

I hope they can develop a vaccine soon. mosquitos are out of control in those counties. Sunlei May 2014 #4

the 3 infected women just returned from a trip to the Caribbean. THAT'S where they contrated it. Javaman May 2014 #6

Cha

(297,298 posts)

1. Oh oh.. stay safe Floridians!

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Tue May 20, 2014, 06:22 AM

May 2014

kelliekat44

(7,759 posts)

2. "Snowbirds" please stay in FL and do not bring this stuff back north this summer. nt

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Tue May 20, 2014, 06:25 AM

May 2014

enlightenment

(8,830 posts)

5. Unless those snowbirds turn into mosquitoes

Reply to kelliekat44 (Reply #2)

Tue May 20, 2014, 09:16 AM

May 2014

I don't think you need to worry about that. It is spread by mosquitoes - not person-to-person.

McCamy Taylor

(19,240 posts)

3. It is carried by mosquitoes and is currently in the Caribbean.

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Tue May 20, 2014, 07:53 AM

May 2014

So, if you are going to the Caribbean, use mosquito precautions. Apparently, this one can give older people arthralgias that last for up to two years. And we just got ever West Nile, which was no walk in the park.

Since mosquitoes have a way of traveling in shipments of tires, this one will probably make it to the mainland, too. No vaccine, no cure. The younger you are, the less it will bother you. Baby boomers and older---like me---should watch out.

Sunlei

(22,651 posts)

4. I hope they can develop a vaccine soon. mosquitos are out of control in those counties.

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Tue May 20, 2014, 09:05 AM

May 2014

That this virus is related to eastern & western equine encephalitis virus is not good news at all. If it has animal carrier hosts virus will spread very fast along the transportation routes.

Some of those counties have swamps full of muck and piles of old junk, tires & old cars. And lots of people live there.

Javaman

(62,530 posts)

6. the 3 infected women just returned from a trip to the Caribbean. THAT'S where they contrated it.

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Tue May 20, 2014, 11:09 AM

May 2014

Mosquito-Borne Chikungunya Found In 3 Florida Women; Are We On The Verge Of An Outbreak?

http://www.medicaldaily.com/mosquito-borne-chikungunya-found-3-florida-women-are-we-verge-outbreak-283446

According to a Florida Department of Health statement, it “received three reports of imported cases of chikungunya fever to Florida from travelers who recently traveled to the Caribbean.” These cases consisted of one 30-year-old woman living near Miami, a 29-year-old woman living near Broward County, and a 44-year-old woman living in Hillsborough County.

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not an "outbreak" but instead, crappy reporting.

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