Mosquito-borne chikungunya virus that triggered panic in China possibly detected in NY

State health officials are currently probing whether the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus that has triggered an aggressive COVID-esque response in China is now spreading in New York after a Long Island woman said she tested positive for the debilitating illness.

The 60-year-old woman from Hempstead in Nassau County said a preliminary screening detected the painful virus in her bloodwork last month — despite her not traveling out of her immediate area, the New York Times reported.

The woman’s blood samples have since been sent to the Health Department’s lab in Albany to confirm the diagnosis, according to officials.

“The New York State Department of Health is investigating a possible locally acquired case of chikungunya virus,” a department spokeswoman said.

“No locally acquired cases have ever been reported in New York State, and the risk to the public remains very low.”

Chikungunya, which can spread when a mosquito carrying the virus bites a person, is rarely detected in the United States.

In China, though, the virus recently sparked the country’s most aggressive public health response since COVID after thousands of people were found to be infected — stoking fears of a potential pandemic.

The virus can cause severe and debilitating fever, joint pain, headache, and muscle pain.

The Nassau County woman, who didn’t want to be named, said she started experiencing severe burning pain in her feet, ankles, knees, wrists, and hands back on Aug. 21.

She said she was shocked to learn of the apparent chikungunya detection, given she hadn’t traveled anywhere recently.

In addition to China, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that current outbreaks of the virus have been reported in Bangladesh, Kenya, Madagascar, Somalia, and Sri Lanka.

No locally acquired cases have popped up in America since 2019, the CDC said.

The Post has reached out to the state health department.