Scary New Reason To Avoid Mosquitoes This Summer

Get informed so you can protect yourself. The chikungunya virus -- that's "chik-un-gun-ya" -- is a nasty new infection that could leave you down and out for days.
Warm weather means more mosquitoes, which has U.S. health authorities bracing for the arrival of the chikungunya virus. This mosquito-borne infection causes days of high fever along with joint pain and stiffness, which sometimes linger for months and even years after the initial infection.

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As of July 8, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention reported a total of 153 cases in 30 states and Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, with most of the cases cropping up in Florida. Other symptoms of chikungunya include headache, muscle pain, and rash, which are similar to those of dengue, another disease spread by mosquitoes.

Stock up on (and use!) insect repellents with DEET, picaridin, lemon eucalyptus oil, or IR3535, advises Erin Staples, M.D., Ph.D., of the CDC. And although there is no medicine to treat chikungunya, the CDC suggests plenty of rest and fluids, and medication such as ibuprofen to relieve fever and pain.