Chikungunya Virus Confirmed In Tarrant County
FORT WORTH, Texas (CBSDFW.COM/AP) - Public health officials in Tarrant County have confirmed the county's first case of the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus disease.
Officials at Tarrant County Public Health say a resident of Mansfield, about 20 miles southwest of Fort Worth, has been diagnosed with the disease after returning home from the Caribbean.
The patient is not considered contagious. Other details are being withheld to protect the patient's privacy.
It's the 13th Texas confirmed case in the state, the third in North Texas.
The illness considered rarely fatal but marked by joint pain, fever, muscle aches and rash. Recovery typically takes about a week.
Mosquitoes that carry the virus have been found in Texas.
"There is no evidence of local transmission of chikungunya virus in our community at this time," said Dr. Anita Kurian, Associate Director at Tarrant County Public Health. "Our best bet now is to continue with active human surveillance for the disease, so we are urging all healthcare providers to maintain a high index of suspicion for chikungunya virus disease, especially among patients who have travelled to places with the disease."
Only Florida so far has reported a local spread of the virus.
(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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