The State health Department says there are now 4-cases of chikungunya fever in Southwest Florida. The herald-Tribune’s reporting wtwo people in Sarasota and Manatee counties appear to have gotten the disease on trips to the Dominican Republic. Two Charlotte County cases of Caribbean origin were reported earlier this month. The virus, transmitted by mosquito bites, most commonly causes a high fever, joint pain and swelling, back pain and a rash, but as many as 28% of those infected have no symptoms.
