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Map shows dengue cases in Florida after health warning

 


Florida health officials have issued a mosquito alert in the Florida Keys after two locally transmitted cases of dengue fever were confirmed.

This warning is National Health Advisory from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), warned health care workers and the public about an increase in dengue cases in the Americas.

Dengue fever is a viral infection spread by mosquitoes. According to the World Health Organization, the virus is thought to infect up to 400 million people each year, causing as many as 40,000 deaths annually. The disease is characterised by high fever, often accompanied by pain, nausea and vomiting, and symptoms can range from mild to severe (though they usually only last for two to seven days).

Only about one in four people infected with dengue actually get sick, and symptoms tend to appear within two weeks of being bitten.

The disease occurs primarily in tropical and subtropical climates, but historically localized transmission has also been reported in Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California.

At the end of June, two locally transmitted cases of dengue were confirmed in Monroe County, bringing the total number of locally transmitted cases in Florida since the beginning of 2024 to 10. So what other counties have locally transmitted cases of dengue confirmed?

The map shows the number of locally acquired dengue cases recorded in each Florida county so far this year.

Miami-Dade County has had the highest number of local cases this year with two in January, one in February, two in March and one in April. Hillsborough and Pasco counties also saw one case each in June and January, respectively.

While the number of cases is still very low, the Monroe County Health Department and the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District are coordinating surveillance and prevention efforts to limit the spread of infection in the area, including door-to-door surveillance and, when necessary, targeted insecticide spraying from trucks and the air.

The Florida Department of Health also recommends the following measures to protect yourself from mosquitoes:

  • Apply insect repellent to your skin and clothing (although some are not suitable for children, so be sure to read the label).
  • Remove or cover all pools of water where mosquitoes can breed, including buckets, roof gutters, rainwater tanks, old tires, bird baths, etc. Even a pool of water the size of a bottle cap can be enough for mosquitoes to breed and multiply.
  • Use air conditioners and window screens to keep the bugs out.

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