Thousands of travelers to Caribbean stricken with mosquito-borne virus

Thousands of travelers to the Caribbean and nearby regions are coming home with an unwanted souvenir: a mosquito-borne virus that recently settled there.<br /> <br /> The virus is called chikungunya (chih-kihn-GOON'-yuh). It can cause severe, often disabling joint pain, fever, rash and other problems.<br /> <br /> Few U.S. doctors have ever seen a case and many are stumped by the symptoms. More than 2,300 U.S. travelers to the Caribbean and parts of Latin America, South America and Mexico have caught the virus since last May.<br /> <br /> There is no vaccine or treatment except medicine for pain. To prevent infection, doctors recommend keeping arms and legs covered and using bug repellent with plenty of the active ingredient, such as DEET.<br /> <br /> Some things to know:<br /> <br /> WHERE IT'S FOUND<br /> <br /> Chikungunya spread from Asia and Africa in late 2013 to the Caribbean, Latin America and parts of South America and Mexico. It's in at least two dozen countries and territories in the Western Hemisphere now. About a dozen people are thought to have caught the virus in Florida.<br /> <br /> HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE IT?<br /> <br /> Symptoms can include fever, a rash, joint pain mostly in the arms and legs, headache, muscle pain and back pain. Symptoms usually start three to seven days after the mosquito bite. A blood test can confirm infection.<br /> <br /> HOW IS IT TREATED?<br /> <br /> Mostly people are given medicines for pain, which can be severe enough to lead to hospitalization. The virus was first discovered in Africa in the 1950s and the name chikungunya comes from a word that means to become contorted, describing the stooped look of its victims.<br /> <br /> CAN IT BE PREVENTED?<br /> <br /> There is no vaccine, so prevention is mostly avoiding being bitten. Use bug repellent with plenty of the active ingredient - many experts recommend DEET. Keep arms and legs covered.