{"id":154,"date":"2014-01-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-01-11T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new-blog.sitata.com\/2014\/01\/11\/the-chikungunya-virus-is-in-the-caribbean-dbbbfd268a31\/"},"modified":"2020-09-08T09:42:05","modified_gmt":"2020-09-08T13:42:05","slug":"the-chikungunya-virus-is-in-the-caribbean-dbbbfd268a31","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sitata.com\/ar\/the-chikungunya-virus-is-in-the-caribbean-dbbbfd268a31\/","title":{"rendered":"The Chikungunya Virus is in the Caribbean"},"content":{"rendered":"
For the first time, an outbreak of the virus that causes chikungunya fever has been reported in the western hemisphere, this time from the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean. So far, about 20 cases have been found. Although people infected with this virus have been reported from Brazil, French Guyana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and the USA in the past, this is the first time there has been an outbreak with local spread of this virus.<\/p>\n
What is chikungunya?<\/strong><\/p>\n It is a virus that spreads through mosquito bites. The most common symptoms of chikungunya are fever and joint pain while other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling or rash.<\/p>\n There are some things you should know:<\/strong><\/p>\n But,<\/strong> by following all the precautions for avoiding mosquito bites, you can greatly reduce the chances of becoming infected. Some precautions include: cover exposed skin by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants and hats and use an appropriate insect repellent as directed. Remember that higher percentages of active ingredients in insect repellent means that individuals will be protected for a longer period of time.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n