Brazil chikungunya cases nearly 145,000, Most in Minas Gerais state

The Ministry of Health in Brazil has reported 144,985 total chikungunya cases this year through April 19.

Of this total, more than half, or 75,622 were confirmed.

The state of Minas Gerais has reported six out of 10 cases with 90,188.

Authorities have reported 68 deaths so far, with another 107 still under investigation.

According to the WHO, chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans through the bites of mosquitoes infected with the chikungunya virus. It was first described during an outbreak in southern Tanzania in 1952 and has now been identified in nearly 40 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and, most recently, the Americas.

The chikungunya virus (CHIKV) was introduced to the American continent in 2013 and caused a major epidemic in several countries in Central America and the Caribbean islands. In the second half of 2014, Brazil confirmed, using laboratory methods, the presence of the disease in the states of Amapá and Bahia. Currently, all states record transmission of this arbovirus.

Symptoms usually begin 4 to 8 days after a mosquito bite but can appear anywhere from 2 to 12 days.

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The most common symptom is an abrupt onset of fever, often accompanied by joint pain. Other symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue, and rash. Severe joint pain usually lasts a few days but can persist for months or even years. Serious complications are uncommon, but atypical severe cases can cause long-term symptoms and even death, especially in older people.