--- description: An Independence Day warning title: Beware Bugs at Your July 4th BBQ image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2f721ba0a6e91f7d/69869a97cd804d4d71ccbcf9/137865793.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Health](/section/health/) ## Health Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Infectious Disease](/tag/infectious-disease/) ## Infectious Disease Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Beware Bugs at Your July 4th BBQ by [NBC News](/author/nbc-news/) ## NBC News Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 4, 2014 1:20 PM CUT  Asian Tiger Mosquito biting on human skin Asian Tiger Mosquito biting on human skinGetty Images by [NBC News](/author/nbc-news/) ## NBC News Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 4, 2014 1:20 PM CUT There’s a little bit of good news for backyard barbecuers this summer—that frightening new virus called chikungunya is not likely to get you. But West Nile virus just might. Chikungunya has been making headlines because it’s spread rapidly across the Caribbean and Central America in just half a year, [infecting 260,000 people](http://www.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com%5Fcontent&view=article&id=9053&Itemid=40695&lang=en "undefined") and killing 21\. But a recent study suggests the United States has a bit of time on its side… [Read the rest of the story on NBC News](http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/bugs-your-july-4th-bbq-beware-chikungunya-west-nile-n147881?cid=par-time-article%5F20140704 "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/2956723/4th-of-july-bbq-bugs/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/2956723/4th-of-july-bbq-bugs/"},"headline":"Beware Bugs at Your July 4th BBQ","datePublished":"2014-07-04T13:20:14.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T08:58:48.548Z","description":"An Independence Day warning","url":"https://time.com/2956723/4th-of-july-bbq-bugs/","keywords":["Infectious Disease","Culture","fourth of july","July 4th"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2f721ba0a6e91f7d/69869a97cd804d4d71ccbcf9/137865793.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"NBC News","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/nbc-news/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2f721ba0a6e91f7d/69869a97cd804d4d71ccbcf9/137865793.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Asian Tiger Mosquito biting on human skin","caption":"Asian Tiger Mosquito biting on human skin","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/infectious-disease/","name":"Infectious Disease"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/2956723/4th-of-july-bbq-bugs/","name":"Beware Bugs at Your July 4th BBQ"}}]}] ```