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The recent news about preventing the spread of Chik-V or Chikungunya virus by U.S. World Cup fans has brought about a true concern for this mosquito transmitted infection. There is new emphasis for travelers carrying back Chik-V infected mosquitoes via food products. Senator Charles Schumer has requested that Department of Homeland Security issue a public emergency that would lead to increased inspections at US ports for entry and additional scans of imported foods from travelers coming from Brazil.
There have already been three confirmed cases of Chik-V in New York. Fourteen other states have also been impacted, including Florida with 25 cases which is cause for serious concern as the number of cases
Image Source: GDDOC. Global Disease Detection Operations Center. 2014. CDC Global Health , CDC . www.cdc.gov. Web. 23 June 2014.
grows throughout the U.S. The Chik-V virus is transmitted to people through mosquito bites. Luckily there has been no cases of human to human spread. However, as Senator Schumer suggest paying close attention to food products coming into the country from Brazil via World Cup travelers will help prevent the spread of this disease.
The concern for spread is seen in the recent Caribbean outbreak. The introduction of Chikungunya into the Caribbean illustrates how quickly diseases can spread from international travelers. For example, the CDC learned of the first two cases of Chik-V on the Caribbean island of St. Martin on December 6, 2013. As of March 2014 there have been more than 10,800 suspected cases and 2,727 confirmed cases.
Due to the large amount of U.S. travelers to and from Brazil for the World Cup there is increased concern for the spread of this disease. Because disease carrying mosquitoes can be in the food supply extra screening of food products carried by travelers and food products imported by suppliers are being recommended. Individuals traveling from other countries should also undergo temperature screening so those infected can avoid passing the virus through mosquitoes.