Situation summary
To date, ten countries and territories in the Region of the Americas have recorded autochthonous cases of chikungunya infection: Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin (French), Sint Maarten (Dutch) and Saint Kitts and Nevis. In addition, an imported case has been recorded in Aruba. See figure below.
With the confirmation of cases of autochthonous transmission in French Guyana, chikungunya virus has now been recorded in South America.
Thus far, the health services capacities of the concerned countries and territories have not been exceeded. As of 21 February 2014, the cases of chikungunya infection recorded1 in the Americas, is of the following distribution:
Anguilla: 11 confirmed cases (including autochthonous and imported);
Aruba: one confirmed imported case;
British Virgin Islands: 5 confirmed autochthonous cases, with no hospitalizations;
Dominica: 45 confirmed cases, of which 6 have been hospitalized;
French Guiana: 7 confirmed cases, two of which are autochthonous, with no hospitalizations;
Guadeloupe: 1,380 clinically suspected cases, of which 6 have been hospitalized;
Martinique: 3,030 clinically suspected cases, of which 88 have been hospitalized;
Saint Barthelemy: 350 clinically suspected cases;
Saint Martin: 1,780 clinically suspected cases, of which 22 have been hospitalized in the French part of the island;2
Sint Maarten: 65 confirmed cases of autochthonous transmission in the Dutch part of the island;
Saint Kitts and Nevis: one confirmed autochthonous case which has been hospitalized and since discharged without complications.
Chikungunya infection is a disease transmitted by the bite of Aedes mosquitoes, particularly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. The disease symptoms usually appear after an incubation period of three to seven days (range 1-12 days). Chikungunya virus can cause acute, sub-acute, and chronic disease. In acute disease, symptoms develop abruptly and include high fever, headache, myalgia and arthralgia (predominantly in limbs and large joints). The appearance of a maculopapular rash is also frequent.