IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. -- The Iredell County Health Department announced Tuesday that North Carolina's sixteenth confirmed case of Chikungunya is an Iredell County resident.
Chikungunya is a virus transmitted via an infected mosquito, and is found in areas of Africa, Asia, the islands of the Indian Ocean, Western Pacific and the Caribbean. But, the health department says travelers to Florida since July 2013 have contracted the virus.
The Iredell County Health Department says the Asian Tiger mosquito that's commonly found in North Carolina is capable of transmitting the virus.
Symptoms of Chikungunya typically include sudden onset of fever and severe, often disabling, joint pains in the hands and feet. The onset of symptoms typically occurs three to seven days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.