Officials say a 60-year-old woman from Hempstead, Long Island, told the New York Times that she tested positive for it in a preliminary test.
She said she was stricken with severe joint pain and she also told the newspaper she had not traveled anywhere recently -- which is what makes her case different from others in our area in the past.
"When we normally see dengue or chikungunya in the United States, it's from someone who's recently returned from an area where there are infected mosquitoes, so usually in the tropics," said Dr. Eric Cioe-Pena with Northwell Center for Global Health.
But experts say the prolonged warmer temperatures in our area could be a factor.
"The mosquito that normally carries it is now able to live in the northeast of the United States where it previously could not and its cousin is now also able to carry some of these viruses that are all in the same category as yellow fever," Cioe-Pena said.
The virus is not transmitted person-to person, only by mosquitoes. Its symptoms include fever and chills, but mostly the joint pain the woman described.
"So in most cases, it goes away, in chikungunya in particular, there can be chronic kind of arthritis, chronic inflammation of your joints for months or even years after the infection," Cioe-Pena said.
Experts say there are vaccine studies underway, but the best method for now is surveillance. This means more testing of local mosquitoes to see if any come up positive.
And don't forget the basic prevention methods such as local spraying, repellant, and staying away from standing water at dawn or dusk.
The state health department's lab is testing her blood to confirm the diagnosis. Officials say they will make their results known as soon as possible.
----------
* More Long Island news
* Send us a news tip
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Follow us on YouTube