The mosquito-borne illness Chikungunya has found its way to Georgia.
The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) reported Thursday morning the first human case of the virus in the state has been confirmed. The patient reportedly picked up the disease during a recent trip to a Caribbean nation.
Though this is the first reported case in Georgia, the CDC reports more than 60 cases in the country, and counting.
The virus is usually not fatal, according to the DPH, but it can cause severe symptoms including fever, extreme joint pain and swelling, rash and headache that begin three to seven days after infection. It is spread through mosquito bites, not through human to human interaction.
Though there is not yet a vaccine or preventative medicine for chikungunya, most infected people feel better in about a week, but the DPH reports joint pain can last for months.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported as of Tuesday, the disease has been reported in 19 Caribbean countries including the British and U.S. Virgin Islands. Haiti and Saint Martin. Those traveling to Africa, Asia and islands in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans are also at risk.
Anyone with symptoms following travel should seek medical attention.
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