Mosquito-borne illness that makes people bend over in pain likely on way to U.S.

A mosquito-borne illness that makes its victims stoop over in intense pain has made its way from Africa to the Caribbean and likely will reach the U.S. soon, scientists have found.

The first case of chikungunya fever in the Western Hemisphere was confirmed on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin in October, and by December 48 cases had been confirmed. In the weeks since more than 1,000 cases have been reported in the islands as it inches closer to the U.S., Scientific American reports.
The viral illness is rarely fatal, but it causes fever, headaches and severe joint pain for about a week.
The disease was first seen in Tanzania in 1953 and has since been seen in epidemics in Africa, Asia and parts of Europe. There is no specific treatment for the illness, though its symptoms can be lessened through treatment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Officials with the CDC told Scientific American that the disease likely will reach the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico and, eventually, the continental U.S.