Paraguay reports first chikungunya case
The Paraguay Health Ministry has issued a public alert after the discovery of the country’s first imported chikungunya case, according to a Prensa Latina report (computer translated).
Aedes aegypti
Image/CDC
According to health vice-minister Teresa Barán, the case was brought into the country in a person returning from travel to the Dominican Republic. The patient exhibited some classic symptoms of chikungunya to include severe joint pain.
Mosquito spraying was performed around the patient’s residence and around the airport, thanks to the early warning.
Barán urged everyone with such symptoms to see the nearest physician, and especially if they are returning from overseas.
Other countries in South America reporting locally acquired or imported chikungunya cases include Guyana (16), French Guiana (390), Peru (2), Venezuela (12), Brazil (11) and Chile (2). For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page
Chikungunya is an illness caused by a virus that spreads through mosquito bites. The most common symptoms of chikungunya are fever and joint pain. Other symptoms may include headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash.
