Fort Wayne, Ind. (Wane) The Ministry of Health of Indiana has seven cases of mosquito-virus that has begun to make its way into the headlines this year confirms. One such case is here in Allen County.
Called Chikungunya virus and health experts do not see it going away anytime soon.
The seven infected Hoosiers travel to the Caribbean.
But the officials of the Ministry of Health County Fort Wayne-Allen predict the virus spreads, especially in the southeastern United States.
David Fiess, director of the Department of Environmental Services Vector Control and the Department of Health County Fort Wayne-Allen said he kept an eye on the Chikungunya virus on the Internet, where from now, were more than 400 000 people in the Caribbean infected.
"The mosquito, Aedes albopictus is well known as common in the Caribbean here in the U.S. Aedes aegypti. This is America., This is only the virus has not yet done so in the mosquito population," Fiess said.
However, this could change.
Approximately 500 cases have been reported in the United States.
One of these mosquitoes, Aedes albopictus, is already in the southern two-thirds of Indiana.
Last week, federal authorities announced that for the first time, two people in Florida have been infected in the United States.
"I think probably in the next year or two ago, the Chikungunya virus in the south-east of the country is available, more than it is now," Fiess said.
How to protect for themselves, health experts have use insect repellent and cover the skin.
"Wash birdbaths once a week, dumping buckets of water to get rid of these tires, cleaning the gutters, maintenance of swimming pools and spas," Fiess said.
Experts say the virus is rarely fatal.
The most common symptoms include joint pain and fever.
Other symptoms include headache, nausea, or rash.
The symptoms are likely to start between three and seven days after the injection and usually lasts about a week.
If you think you may be infected, call your doctor.