A dengue fever alert has been issued in the Florida Keys after two confirmed cases of the mosquito-borne illness.
This comes shortly after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a national advisory about the growing risk of dengue in the U.S.
While, most dengue cases in the U.S this year have been linked to travel, officials from the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County reported that the two cases in the Florida Keys were locally acquired.
The U.S has recorded 2,241 dengue cases so far in 2024, with 1,498 of these in Puerto Rico, which declared a public health emergency in March, as per NBC News.
Last year, the CDC documented 3,036 cases across the U.S and its territories.
Globally, dengue fever cases have surged, particularly in Latin America, where over 9.7 million cases have been reported in 2024, compared to 4.6 million in 2023.
The rise in cases is linked to hotter temperatures, which facilitate mosquito breeding and virus transmission.
The CDC notes that about 25% of people infected with dengue will exhibit symptoms, which can range from mild to severe.
Symptoms, severity, and prevention measures:
Common symptoms include fever, joint and muscle pain, headache, nausea, vomiting, and rash.
Most individuals recover within a week, but severe cases, which occur in about 5% of those infected, can lead to shock, internal bleeding, and death.
Preventive measures include using air conditioning, installing window screens, applying insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, and eliminating standing water where mosquitoes breed.
