As per recent reports, it has been revealed that the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), which is the regional arm of the World Health Organization (WHO), has rolled up its sleeves to prevent people from the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus.

The disease is new for Americans, but has already infected two million people in the world. Jose Luis San Martin, who is the PAHO adviser on dengue, has been working closely with PAHO adviser on viral diseases Otavio Oliva to introduce new guidelines to help countries across America for chikungunya virus.

"Hundreds of people who have traveled from the Americas to Asia and Africa in the past five years have become infected with the chikungunya virus”, said Martin. He further affirmed that America is next in line to get infected with the virus. The disease is spreading to people living in the US through people, who have recently moved from Asian and African countries to US.

Chikungunya is an insect born virus which is transmitted to humans through virus carrying Aedes mosquitoes. Some of its common symptoms are fever, weakness, swelling and problems in the joints of the extremities.

The symptoms can remain active from few days to months. As per US official figures of the PAHO, there have been 106 confirmed cases of the virus in the country from m2006 and 2009.

In addition, a new regional representative of the PAHO Dr. Merle J. Lewis, has been appointed, who said that there main aim will be to help countries to achieve their desired goals for national health.

Dr. Irad Potter, who is Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health and Social Development, was also present with Lewis. Potter said that PAHO and WHO have always been very supportive and they always try to help in all the national health schemes being designed by the government.