California: Two additional locally acquired dengue fever cases reported in LA County
The LA County Health Department reports investigating two additional cases of locally acquired dengue- one in Baldwin Park and one in Hollywood Hills.
There have now been eleven confirmed cases of locally acquired dengue this year in Los Angeles County- Baldwin Park (7), Panorama City (1), El Monte (2) and Hollywood Hills (1) and 13 in the state (2 in San Diego County).
The increase in the number of locally acquired cases in Baldwin Park indicates continued circulation of dengue in the area due to infected mosquitoes.
“These two additional cases raise concerns about the potential for continued local spread of dengue in our community. Healthcare providers play a critical role in promptly identifying and managing patients infected with dengue,” said Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County Health Officer. “Providers should consider dengue in any patient with fever and signs and symptoms of dengue including headache, eye pain, muscle, bone or joint pain, nausea and vomiting and order testing for dengue regardless of travel history.”
Cases of locally acquired dengue were previously confirmed by Long Beach and Pasadena in fall 2023.
Dengue is a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people. It is common in tropical and subtropical regions, like the Caribbean (including Puerto Rico), Central and South America, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific islands. In the United States, the types of mosquitoes that spread dengue are found in many areas, which means local spread of dengue can happen. However, dengue is not commonly spread by mosquitoes in LA County. Most cases in LA County have been linked to travel to areas where dengue is more common.
About one in four people infected have symptoms of the infection, which can be mild or severe. Symptoms of dengue typically last two to seven days. Most will recover after about a week. About one in twenty people with symptoms can develop severe disease with severe bleeding, shock, trouble breathing, and organ damage, which can be life threatening.
There are no specific medicines to treat dengue. There are supportive medicines to help with fever and pain. There is a vaccine for dengue, but it is NOT approved for use in U.S. travelers who are visiting but not living in an area where dengue is common.