DES MOINES (AP) — Health officials have confirmed the first human case of the chikungunya (chicken-GUN’-yuh) virus in Iowa.
The state Department of Public Health said in a news release Wednesday that a man from central Iowa is recovering from the mosquito-borne virus.
He recently returned from a trip to the Caribbean.
The virus can cause fever and joint pain, among other symptoms. It is typically not fatal.
Officials say it’s common for an individual to be bitten by an infected mosquito while traveling outside of the state.
Up until now, Iowa was one of only six states that had not reported such a case.
The man has not been hospitalized, and additional information about his case has not been released.