Florida: Locally-transmitted dengue case reported in Hillsborough County
The Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County (DOH-Hillsborough) is informing residents of a confirmed human case of locally-acquired dengue fever.
Hillsborough County is located in the west-central portion of the state and home to the city of Tampa.
DOH-Hillsborough and Hillsborough County Mosquito Control are coordinating surveillance and prevention efforts by conducting aerial spraying.
This is the eighth local transmission of dengue in the state this year- the other cases were reported in Miami-Dade (6) and Pasco counties.
In addition to the local transmission of dengue in Florida, 222 cases with onset in 2024 have been reported in individuals with travel history to a dengue-endemic area in the two weeks prior to onset.
Miami-Dade and Broward counties have seen the most travel associated dengue with 95 and 37 cases, respectively.
Hillsborough County has reported 16 dengue cases linked to international travel to date.
DOH-Hillsborough reminds the community to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes by taking these basic precautions.
The Department continues to conduct statewide surveillance for mosquito-borne illnesses, including West Nile virus infections, Eastern equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, malaria, chikungunya, and dengue.
Dengue fever is an important mosquito-borne disease worldwide. It is caused by four related dengue viruses (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, DEN-4) that are related to the viruses that cause West Nile infection and yellow fever.
Subscribe to Outbreak News TV on YouTube
Dengue infection is acquired through the bite of certain species of mosquitoes, primarily Aedes aegypti, but also Aedes albopictus, both of which are present in Florida.
Dengue fever can be a painful, debilitating disease but is rarely fatal. Symptoms appear 3-14 days after the bite of an infected mosquito and include sudden onset of fever, severe headache, eye pain, muscle and joint pain (giving the disease the nickname "breakbone fever"), and bleeding. Gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea may also be present in some cases. Dengue fever symptoms usually lasts 4-7 days. The disease is often diagnosed incorrectly because the symptoms are similar to influenza and other viruses.
Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a rare but more severe form of dengue infection that can be fatal if not recognized and treated with supportive care. The primary risk factor for hemorrhagic fever is previous infection with a different dengue serotype (i.e. getting DENV-2 if you have already DENV-1 puts you at increased risk of hemorrhagic fever).
A dengue vaccine is approved for use in children aged 9–16 years with laboratory-confirmed previous dengue virus infection and living in areas where dengue is endemic (occurs frequently or continuously).
Endemic areas include some U.S. territories and freely associated states.
The vaccine is not approved for use in U.S. travelers who are visiting but not living in an area where dengue is common.