Travel Notice: Chikungunya Virus Published Feb. 23, 2015 By 1st Lt. Casey Finch 4th Aerospace Medicine Squadron SEYMOUR JOHSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Chikungunya is a virus transmitted to people through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquito. The mosquitoes become infected when they feed on a person already infected with the virus. Although A. aegypti live only in the extreme southeast of the United States, A. albopictus is a fairly common species throughout much of the country, including North Carolina. Approximately 72 to 97 percent of people infected with chikungunya will develop symptoms within three to seven days of being bitten by an infected mosquito. The most common symptoms are a fever greater than 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit and severe pain in multiple joints. Other symptoms may include headache, rash, nausea, vomiting and conjunctivitis. There is no medicine to treat chikungunya virus infection or disease. Fatalities associated with chikungunya are rare, and infection gives long-lasting immunity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the first local transmission of chikungunya in the Americas was identified in Caribbean countries and territories in late 2013, and local transmission was observed in Florida in 2014. Now, the risk of outbreaks occurring in the United States is very likely, given the presence of A. albopictus in much of the southeastern United States and because the disease is becoming established in South and Central America. People visiting these areas are at risk not only for developing the disease, but for bringing it back home, as well. Individuals planning to travel outside of the United States are advised to visit the Deployment Medicine section of the 4th Aerospace Medicine Public Health Office prior to departure for tips on how to protect themselves and others from chikungunya and other travel-related diseases. For more information, call Public Health at (919) 722-1172, or visit the CDC website.