A debilitating , mosquito-borne virus called chikungunya has made its way to North Carolina , health officials say . It 's the state 's first reported case of the virus . The patient was likely infected in the Caribbean , according to the Forsyth County Department of Public Health . Chikungunya is primarily found in Africa , East Asia and the Caribbean islands , but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been watching the virus , + for fear that it could take hold in the United States -- much like West Nile did more than a decade ago . The virus , which can cause joint pain and arthritis-like symptoms , has been on the U.S. public health radar for some time . About 25 to 28 infected travelers bring it to the United States each year , said Roger Nasci , chief of the CDC 's Arboviral Disease Branch in the Division of Vector-Borne Diseases . `` We have n't had any locally transmitted cases in the U.S. thus far , '' Nasci said . But a major outbreak in the Caribbean this year -- with more than 100,000 cases reported -- has health officials concerned . Experts say American tourists are bringing chikungunya back home , and it 's just a matter of time before it starts to spread within the United States . After all , the Caribbean is a popular one with American tourists , and summer is fast approaching . `` So far this year we 've recorded eight travel-associated cases , and seven of them have come from countries in the Caribbean where we know the virus is being transmitted , '' Nasci said . Other states have also reported cases of chikungunya . The Tennessee Department of Health said the state has had multiple cases of the virus in people who have traveled to the Caribbean . The virus is not deadly , but it can be painful , with symptoms lasting for weeks . Those with weak immune systems , such as the elderly , are more likely to suffer from the virus ' side effects than those who are healthier . The good news , said Dr. William Shaffner , an infectious disease expert with Vanderbilt University in Nashville , is that the United States is more sophisticated when it comes to controlling mosquitoes than many other nations . `` We live in a largely air-conditioned environment , and we have a lot of screening ( window screens , porch screens ) , '' Shaffner said . `` So we can separate the humans from the mosquito population , but we can not be completely be isolated . '' Chikungunya was originally identified in East Africa in the 1950s . The ecological makeup of the United States supports the spread of an illness such as this , especially in the tropical areas of Florida and other Southern states , according to the CDC . The other concern is the type of mosquito that carries the illness . Unlike most mosquitoes that breed and prosper outside from dusk to dawn , the chikungunya virus is most often spread to people by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes . These are the same mosquitoes that transmit the virus that causes dengue fever . They bite mostly during the daytime . The disease is transmitted from mosquito to human , human to mosquito and so forth . A female mosquito of this type lives three to four weeks and can bite someone every three to four days . Shaffner and other health experts recommend people remember the mosquito-control basics : . • Use bug spray if you are going out , especially in tropical , or wooded areas near water . • Get rid of standing water , empty plastic pools , flower pots and pet dishes , so mosquitoes do n't breed . • Dress appropriately , with long sleeves and pants . Will dengue fever threaten the World Cup ?
Chikungunya reports first case of mosquito-borne virus called chikungunya . Chikungunya is primarily found in East Asia , Africa and the Caribbean islands . Nasci is not deadly , but it can be painful , with symptoms lasting for weeks .