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Last updated on Tuesday, June 10, 2014
(INDIANAPOLIS) - State health officials are warning of a virus contracted by an Allen County resident.
State Public Health Department Veterinarian Dr. Jennifer Brown says the man has tested positive for the chikungunya virus. It's transmitted by mosquitoes and has been found in Africa, Asia, and islands in the Indian and Western Pacific oceans.
The virus can be fatal, but usually isn't. Symptoms include headache, joint pain, high fever, and a rash.
State health officials say the Allen County resident had recently returned from a trip to the Caribbean.
Unlike West Nile virus infection, chikungunya can be transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person by the bite of an infected mosquito.
Officials say to take precautions against mosquitoes by using insect repellant containing DEET, and to wear long sleeves and pants when in marshy or wooded areas.
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