The New York State Department of Health has confirmed the first locally acquired case of chikungunya virus in the United States since 2019, marking the first known local transmission in New York State. The case, identified in Nassau County on Long Island, was confirmed through laboratory testing at the Department’s Wadsworth Center.

Officials report that the individual likely contracted the illness through a mosquito bite from an infected Aedes albopictus mosquito, a species found in parts of downstate New York. While the precise source of exposure remains under investigation, experts emphasize that the overall public risk remains low.

Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne disease found primarily in tropical and subtropical regions. Symptoms can include fever, severe joint pain, headache, muscle aches, swelling, or rash. The illness is rarely fatal, but joint pain can persist for weeks or months. People most at risk for severe illness include newborns, adults over 65, and individuals with chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease.

Health officials stress that the disease cannot spread directly from person to person, and that prevention remains the best protection:
✅ Use EPA-registered insect repellents containing DEET or picaridin
✅ Wear long sleeves and pants outdoors
✅ Dump standing water weekly
✅ Keep screens and doors repaired to block mosquitoes