ALBANY, N.Y. — New York State health officials have confirmed the first locally acquired case of the Chikungunya virus.
The mosquito-borne illness was detected in a person on Long Island, who began experiencing symptoms in August following a trip outside the region.
Symptoms include fever and joint pain, headache, muscle pain, joint swelling or rash. The illness is rarely fatal and most patients recover within a week.
The mosquito-borne disease is typically found in tropical regions. The individual did not travel to a region where the virus is typically found.
It remains unclear how the virus was contracted.