ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Sen. Charles Schumer is asking the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue a health alert to medical professionals in New York and around the country for identifying, treating and containing a mosquito-borne virus.
Chikungunya (chih-kihn-GUHN’-yuh) causes fevers, joint and muscle pain, headaches, joint swelling and rashes.
One of the mosquito species that carries the virus is prevalent in Brazil.
Schumer says there have been three confirmed cases in New York, 25 in Florida and numbers could increase dramatically with the return of soccer fans from the World Cup.
The New York Democrat is also calling on U.S. Department of Homeland Security to increase border safeguards, citing the developing threat in the Caribbean, where more than 100,000 people have been affected.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
