Chikungunya in a North American Traveler

Chikungunya, first described after an epidemic of dengue-like lllness swept across southern Tanzania in 1952-1953,'-' is caused by an alphavirus. The disease is most noteworthy for the frequent occurrence of severe accompanying joint symptoms, which on occasion may persist for months or even years after acute infection. We report a case in a North American, and briefly review the epidemiology and clinical manifestations of this underappreciated disease.