Credit CDC
# 8305
As a native Floridian, I’m understandably very interested in arboviruses; those spread by arthropods (ie. Mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies, etc.). Each year I devote considerable blog space to West Nile Virus, Dengue Fever, EEE, and various tick and mosquito borne encephalitis-type illnesses.
In 2005, an old arbovirus called Chikungunya – previously only found in Africa – emerged on the world stage and quickly spread across the Indian Ocean, infecting hundreds of thousands of people. While rarely fatal, this painful mosquito transmitted infection can can cause long-term arthritic-like disabilities.
Up until three months ago, the virus had never been acquired in the Americas, although imported cases among tourists or returning travelers was not uncommon.
In November, we saw the first outbreak of the disease in the Caribbean (see CDC Update On Chikungunya In The Caribbean), which has continued to expand over the winter. Two years ago, the arrival of this virus to the Western Hemisphere was predicted in the CDC/PAHO document Preparedness and Response for Chikungunya Virus Introduction in the Americas.
In December, we saw a CDC HAN Advisory On Recognizing & Treating Chikungunya Infection, as concerns mount that we could see the virus begin to filter into the United States, and tomorrow the CDC will hold a COCA call for clinicians on emerging arbovirus.
Although primarily of interest to clinicians, the CDC holds frequent COCA (Clinician Outreach Communication Activity) calls which are designed to ensure that practitioners have up-to-date information for their practices.
Details of tomorrow’s conference call follow:
Chikungunya Virus – An Emerging Threat to the Americas
Date: Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Time: 2:00 - 3:00 pm (Eastern Time)
To Join:
Dial-In: 888-233-9077 (U.S. Callers)
773-799-3915 (International Callers)Passcode:8291522
Access Webinar: https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=PW4203438&p=8291522&t=c
Presenter(s):
J. Erin Staples, MD, PhD
Medical Epidemiologist
Arboviral Diseases Branch
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and PreventionOverview:
Chikungunya virus is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause fever and severe polyarthralgia. Outbreaks of the chikungunya have occurred in countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Indian and Pacific Oceans. In late 2013, the first local chikungunya virus transmission in the Americas was reported on islands in the Caribbean. Travelers to areas with ongoing outbreaks are at risk of becoming infected and spreading the virus to new areas, including the United States. During this COCA call, a CDC subject matter expert will provide information on chikungunya virus epidemiology, clinical findings, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Additionally, they will describe the importance of early recognition and reporting of suspected cases to mitigate the risk of local transmission.
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For some earlier blog posts on Chikungunya and other related arboviruses, you may wish to revisit:
WNV: The Economic Costs Of An Invasive Arbovirus
ECDC Update On The Spread Of Chikungunya In The Caribbean
Florida: Dengue Forces Suspension Of Blood Donations In Two Counties
The Risks Of Chikungunya Outbreaks In The United States
