Associated Press Published

DHHR Suspects Case of Mosquito-Borne Virus

DHHR

  State health officials say they’re investigating West Virginia’s first suspected case of a nasty mosquito-borne virus.

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Bureau for Public Health says the suspected case involved a traveler to another country.

West Virginia officials say the state is waiting for confirmatory testing from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Chikungunya originated in Africa and appeared in the Caribbean last year. Health officials say the virus causes flu-like symptoms with a high fever and joint pain.

The CDC says 80 cases of chikungunya have been recorded in 13 states, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.