iStock/Thinkstock(TRENTON, N.J.) — The New Jersey State Health Department says 25 New Jersey residents have tested positive for the Chikungunya virus, which can be brought back to the United States by travelers from the Caribbean.
The first two cases in the U.S. were reported last week in Florida.
The infection is rarely fatal but it can cause severe joint pain, high fever, headache and muscle pain.
Dr. Greg Williams who heads the Hudson County Mosquito Control Division says his department is now testing mosquitoes caught in traps for the disease and is urging home owners to do what they can to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.
“People are coming back with the disease and if the mosquito bites them while they’re sick potentially they can carry that virus to other people,” Williams said. “The mosquitoes that transmit this usually come from peoples’ backyards so you want to monitor your yard to make sure that you eliminate all standing water.”
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