Mosquito-borne virus spreads in Caribbean

What began with 10 confirmed cases of the chikungunya virus on French St. Martin in December has spiraled into a much larger outbreak with more than 480 confirmed cases spanning several Caribbean islands.

The outbreak is being tracked by the Centers for Disease Control in the U.S., the European Center for Disease Prevention Control and the Caribbean Public Health Agency.

The following islands have cases of chikungunya virus, which is caused by the bite of an infected female mosquito: St. Martin, 294 cases, up from 96 on Jan. 8; St. Maarten, two; Martinique, 127; St. Barts, 31; Guadeloupe, 27; French Guiana, one; Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands, three; and Dominica, one.

The virus causes fever, severe joint pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash. There is no vaccine to prevent it or cure it. Treatment is focused on relieving the symptoms.

Travelers are warned to protect themselves by covering exposed skin, using insect repellent that contains DEET and sleeping in air-conditioned rooms.

The mosquitoes bite during daylight hours but are particularly active in the early morning and at dusk.