New York chikungunya: New York State health officials have confirmed a locally acquired case of chikungunya in Nassau County, the first US mainland report since 2019. The state’s Wadsworth Center laboratory verified the infection after the patient developed symptoms in August.
While classified as locally acquired, the exact exposure source remains unclear, and no local mosquito pools have tested positive to date, officials said.
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Chikungunya, spread by Aedes mosquitoes (not person-to-person), typically causes fever and joint pain, with possible headache, muscle aches, rash, nausea, and fatigue. Newborns, adults >65, and people with chronic conditions face a higher risk of severe disease.
Health authorities stressed New York’s current transmission risk is very low given cool fall temperatures, but urged residents to avoid mosquito bites and eliminate standing water. So far in 2025, the virus has been mostly imported via travel, with dozens of travel-associated cases reported nationally.
Vector species capable of transmitting chikungunya, including Aedes albopictus, are present in parts of downstate New York, meaning an infected traveller can occasionally seed local mosquitoes. Experts note similar limited local transmissions have occurred in Florida and Texas in prior years.
