Chikungunya virus found in Williamson County resident

Health officials have confirmed the first case in Texas of the viral disease chikungunya in a Williamson County resident, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Chikungunya is carried by mosquitoes. The infected resident is thought to have contracted the disease on a recent trip to the Caribbean where chikungunya has been infecting humans since 2013, according to a DSHS news release.

Chikungunya is rarely fatal. Symptoms of the virus last for about a week and include fever, head and body aches, joint swelling and skin rashes. There is no vaccine or treatment for chikungunya, the news release stated.

Though the virus has not spread in Texas, the type of mosquito that can potentially carry the disease—the Aedes Mosquito—does live in the state, the news release stated.

"With recent outbreaks in the Caribbean and the Pacific, the number of chikungunya cases among travelers visiting or returning to the United States from affected areas will likely increase," the news release stated.

The first case of West Nile Virus in Texas was confirmed in Travis County on June 3, according to the DSHS.

How to protect yourself:

• Use insect repellent outdoors
• Drain standing water where mosquitoes breed
• Wear pants and shirts with long sleeves
• Keep doors, windows and screens closed