Health authorities in New York State confirmed the first local case of chikungunya virus, the first case of this type in the United States in 6 years.
The state Department of Health said yesterday, Tuesday, that the virus, transmitted by mosquitoes, was discovered in a person residing in Nassau County on Long Island.
The provincial health department said in a separate statement that the infected person began experiencing symptoms in August after traveling outside the region, but not outside the country.
It is not yet clear how the person became infected with the virus, as health officials believe that he was bitten by an infected mosquito, but at the same time they indicated that the virus was not detected in local mosquito populations, and there is no evidence of ongoing transmission of the infection.
The virus cannot be transmitted directly from one person to another.