Mosquito Carrying Rare Virus Trapped In Texas
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — When it comes to mosquitoes the main concern for North Texans lately has been West Nile Virus. Now health officials in Houston believe they've trapped a mosquito carrying a virus known as chikungunya.
If confirmed by further testing, the mosquito found in Harris County is believed to be the first in Texas to have been found carrying the virus, which has been found in the Caribbean as well as Asia and Africa.
Ten people in Texas have been infected by chikungunya, but all of those cases are believed to have occurred during travel abroad. Two people in Florida last month were reported to have been infected in the United States.
Chikungunya is rarely fatal, but causes join pain, fever, muscle aches and rash, with recovery typically taking about a week.
(©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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.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.)
Latest News:
Top Trending: