Authorities have confirmed cases of a type of fever known as the Central American virus known as “CoV” in two U.S. states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Friday.
The cases of coccidiosis, in Texas and Mississippi, were among 12 new infections with 19 likely cases in total. The cases in Texas are particularly worrisome, coming out of the Houston area.
A doctor with Public Health East Texas said the cases had been confirmed and that they were being treated. Cases of coccidiosis can be mild, requiring no treatment at all, or cause complications that require hospitalization.
The CDC is working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to try to identify people who recently traveled to Central America, and who had not been vaccinated, as a precautionary measure.
The increase in the number of travelers bound for the U.S. with coccidiosis from Central America is raising concern in public health circles. In June 2015, several deaths in at least 10 countries were attributed to the mosquito-borne virus.
Read the full story at The Washington Post.
Related
Texas Gov. Abbott on Texas-Mexico border surge: ‘Not only will we continue, but we are gaining’
CDC predicts up to 13,000 Zika cases for 2016
1 of 24 Zika cases in Illinois is linked to local outbreak