Bug bites abroad sicken 2
Coloradans fall victim to exotically named chikungunyaBy Fernando Quintero, Rocky Mountain News
November 22, 2006
A warning to overseas travelers: Don't forget the bug spray.
At least two Coloradans returned home recently from Asia and East Africa with chikungunya, an infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes.
According to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web site, the disease can cause fever, headache, nausea, joint pain and other symptoms. No deaths related to the infection have been documented.
The unusual name, pronounced chi-kun-GUN-ya, is Swahili for "that which bends up."
Chikungunya is among several types of mosquito-borne diseases that people can contract when they travel abroad, said John Pape, an epidemiologist with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
"Each year, we get reports of -dengue, malaria and other diseases from travelers," Pape said. "There is no outbreak of these diseases locally, and it's not mosquito season. So there's really no danger to the general public."
But Eileen Farnon, a medical epidemiologist with the CDC, said the disease is nonetheless a concern because mosquitoes may still be prevalent in other parts of the country.
She said at least 28 cases have been confirmed nationwide this year.
In India and islands of the Indian Ocean, an outbreak of chikungunya has afflicted more than 1.4 million people since March 2005.
The virus also has circulated throughout much of Africa. There is no vaccine or preventive drug for the disease.
For those traveling abroad, the best way to avoid infection is to prevent mosquito bites, expert say. Use insect repellant, wear long sleeves and pants and have secure screens on windows and doors to keep insects out, they say.
Travelers can check out the CDC's Traveler's Health Web site, www.cdc.gov/travel, for more information.
Coloradans fall victim to exotically named chikungunyaBy Fernando Quintero, Rocky Mountain News
November 22, 2006
A warning to overseas travelers: Don't forget the bug spray.
At least two Coloradans returned home recently from Asia and East Africa with chikungunya, an infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes.
According to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web site, the disease can cause fever, headache, nausea, joint pain and other symptoms. No deaths related to the infection have been documented.
The unusual name, pronounced chi-kun-GUN-ya, is Swahili for "that which bends up."
Chikungunya is among several types of mosquito-borne diseases that people can contract when they travel abroad, said John Pape, an epidemiologist with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
"Each year, we get reports of -dengue, malaria and other diseases from travelers," Pape said. "There is no outbreak of these diseases locally, and it's not mosquito season. So there's really no danger to the general public."
But Eileen Farnon, a medical epidemiologist with the CDC, said the disease is nonetheless a concern because mosquitoes may still be prevalent in other parts of the country.
She said at least 28 cases have been confirmed nationwide this year.
In India and islands of the Indian Ocean, an outbreak of chikungunya has afflicted more than 1.4 million people since March 2005.
The virus also has circulated throughout much of Africa. There is no vaccine or preventive drug for the disease.
For those traveling abroad, the best way to avoid infection is to prevent mosquito bites, expert say. Use insect repellant, wear long sleeves and pants and have secure screens on windows and doors to keep insects out, they say.
Travelers can check out the CDC's Traveler's Health Web site, www.cdc.gov/travel, for more information.