What you need to know about the Chikungunya virus

NEW YORK (WABC) -- A virus spread by mosquitoes now starting to show up in the US, with 130 cases reported so far this year in 28 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

It's called chikungunya, and while it's not yet being transmitted domestically -- so far, all of the cases in the US are people who traveled to the Caribbean, got bit by a mosquito there and were infected -- the big concern is that the virus is going infect our mosquitoes population the way the West Nile virus does.

The symptoms include fever, muscle ache and rashes of all different kinds, but the key symptom is joint pain. The word chikungunya actually means "walking bent over," and it's from the pain in the joints.

Most people get better over the course of a couple of weeks, but there are people who have these symptoms for months and even years after the infection.

Prevention tips begin in your backyard. Get rid of any water that is pooled up, and make sure screens are repaired. Use a mosquito repellent, preferably one containing Deet. And if you're in the Caribbean, it is recommended that you wear long sleeves.

And while that is unlikely, at least remember to put on that bug spray. Mosquitoes bite during the day, so perhaps apply the spray at the same time you put on your sunscreen.