# 8695
Although it only first appeared in the Americas last November, we’ve gone from a handful of cases on the French Part of St. Martins to more than 100,000 cases spread across much the the Caribbean, in just six months. A demonstration of just what an emerging virus, aided and abetted by a competent and ubiquitous vector, can do to a highly susceptible and immunologically naive population.
In recent weeks we’ve looked at how Florida Prepares For Chikungunya , a Study on Chikungunya’s Growing Threat To The Americas, and several CDC presentations, including a Chikungunya Update & CDC Webinar Online.
Today, a brief update from PAHO on the most recent reporting week (22) for Chikungunya across the Caribbean.
Chikungunya
PAHO / WHO received on December 6, 2013 the confirmation of the first cases of autochthonous transmission of Chikungunya virus in the Americas. Existing cases are registered and weekly updated in the following table:
:: Technical guidelines and recommendations
PAHO / WHO recommends that countries with a presence of the transmitting mosquito establish and maintain their capacity to detect and confirm cases; manage patients; and implement an effective communication strategy to reduce the presence of the mosquito. It is also recommended to strengthen laboratory capacity to identify and confirm the virus in a timely manner.
