(NEW YORK) -- More cases of a viral disease that can cause joint pain is spreading in the United States via mosquitoes. The disease is said to have started in Africa, then spread to Asia, Southern Europe, and the Caribbean. ABC Chief Health and Medical Editor Doctor Richard Besser says these mosquitoes tend to bite during the day, and that's when they transmit infection.
Besser says, "the only thing you can do to prevent this is to prevent getting the mosquito bites."
"It's important people think about that now anyway, because a number of things are spread by mosquitoes," he adds. "In the United States, the summer and early fall is the peak period for West Nile virus, so the mantra to remember is Fight the Bite. Put on insect repellent, avoid periods of time when mosquitoes are biting actively, get rid of standing water around your home."
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