So far this year, the Jalisco Health Department (SSJ) has reported 48 cases of chikungunya in the state, registered in Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, La Huerta, Cuautitlán and Tomatlán.
Like dengue fever, this arthropod-borne virus is transmitted to humans by virus-carrying Aedes mosquitoes. It produces an acute febrile phase lasting two to five days, followed by a longer period of joint pains in the extremities, sometimes lasting many months, or even years.
According to Salvador García Hernandez, SSJ coordinator for dengue and chikungunya, the cases have been controlled and there is no danger of the outbreak spreading. He said the number of cases in Jalisco is much less than in other Mexican states.
Even though chikungunya symptoms can be severe, the disease is rarely fatal, unlike dengue. Also unlike dengue, chikungunya can be contracted by an individual only once, since it gives lifelong immunity.