Chikungunya Virus is Spreading, Travel Warnings Issued

A harmful mosquito-borne virus is spreading across the Caribbean, with thousands of confirmed cases having been identified by health officials working in tandem with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In light of the virus's increased prevalence, the CDC has issued travel warnings for the majority of the Caribbean Islands.

Earlier last month, the Dominican Republic's Public Health Minister announced that his country was in the midst of an outbreak of the debilitating chikungunya virus following CDC confirmation. Since that time, world health officials have been on the lookout for the virus, which is spread by growing mosquito populations.

According to the CDC, in late 2013, the first local transmission of the virus was reported in the Caribbean, meaning that the virus was likely there to stay. Now, come Spring of 2014, more than 4,000 cases of the virus have been confirmed in the regions -- primarily in the French Caribbean islands of Martinique, Guadeloupe and St. Martin. An additional 31,000 suspected cases have been reported by various Caribbean officials, but have not been confirmed in an adequate lab.

As of April, the  virus has also been confirmed by the CDC in the Kingdom of Tonga -- a small independent Polynesian sovereign state made up of 176 islands in the southern Pacific Ocean, located relatively close to the islands of Hawaii.

According to the CDC, between 2006 and 2009, 106 cases of chikungunya were identified in travelers visiting or returning to the United States of America from virus-affected regions. Like in previous years, the confirmed spread of the virus has prompted the CDC to issue Level 1 travel warnings. This level primarily asks that travelers stay aware of where they are going and if the region is known to have infection. Necessary precautions taken to prevent mosquito bites have been deemed adequate at this time, as the virus is not a fatal disease to healthy human beings.

The virus most commonly causes severe joint pain, muscle pain, fever, and rash. According to the CDC, these symptoms usually begin three to seven days after a victim has been bitten by an infected mosquito, and the effects -- particularly joint pain -- can last for several months but are easily treatable.

A complete map of infected regions as of April 7 was made available by the CDC.

The CDC announced confirmed infections in Tonga on April 18.