Douglas County has its first confirmed case of the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus.
The Health Department confirmed Friday morning that a man over age 50 is the county’s first case of the virus. The man recently traveled to Puerto Rico. Health Department Director Dr. Adi Pour says he didn’t contract the illness in Nebraska.
Chikungunya causes fever and severe joint pain in the hands and feet. It might also cause headaches, muscle pains, or a rash. There have been 234 cases of the virus reported in the U.S. this year, in 31 states. All of those cases were travel-related.
This is the fourth confirmed case of chikungunya in Nebraska.