Local dengue in California, The potential return of yellow fever in the American South
Local dengue in California, The potential return of yellow fever in the American South
California
Pasadena, California health officials have reported a locally-transmitted dengue fever case in a Pasadena resident who did not travel outside the United States.
This is the first confirmed case of dengue in California not associated with travel and is instead an extremely rare case of local transmission in the continental United States.
“Pasadena Public Health Department has been conducting surveillance and investigation of mosquito-borne diseases in Pasadena for years,” stated Dr. Matthew Feaster, PPHD Epidemiologist. “Our work so far, in partnership with the Vector Control District, gives us confidence that this was likely an isolated incident and that there is very low risk of additional dengue exposure in Pasadena.”
Outside of this California case, local transmission of dengue has been reported in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico.
Symptoms of dengue may be mild or severe and include fever, nausea, vomiting, rash, and body aches. Symptoms typically last two to seven days and although severe and even life-threatening illness can occur, most people recover after about a week. There are no specific medicines or vaccines to prevent this disease. Treatment is supportive and may include rest, fluids, and monitoring for early signs.
“Pasadena is working with healthcare providers to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of dengue infection and is coordinating prevention efforts with local and state public health officials,” stated Interim Health Officer, Dr. Parveen Kaur. “Eliminating mosquito breeding sources is essential to reducing the spread of mosquitoes and the diseases they carry.”
Aedes aegypti merchandise
Yellow fever warning
Earlier this week, infectious disease experts at Baylor College of Medicine and Stanford School of Medicine warned of the possible re-emergence of yellow fever in the southern portion of the U.S in a Perspective in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Peter J. Hotez, M.D., Ph.D. and Angelle Desiree LaBeaud, M.D. write arbovirus spread has begun accelerating in the American South which include autochthonous outbreaks of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika virus infections, each transmitted by aedes mosquitoes in Florida and Texas.
Data generated from epidemiologic, mapping, and modeling analyses reveal a new confluence of climate change, urbanization, and shifting patterns of human migrations that predicts significant upticks in infections with viruses transmitted by aedes mosquitoes.
“We’ve seen a rise in mosquito-transmitted illnesses in Texas and Florida, including malaria, dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus, but now we’re also worried about yellow fever since it seems to be accelerating in tropical regions of Latin America such as Brazil and Venezuela,” Hotez said. “The consequences of a high mortality infection like yellow fever re-emerging in the southern U.S. would be profoundly destabilizing.”
Yellow fever in the US: A short history
Experts propose expanding surveillance activities by enhancing local health departments to combat mosquitoes and mosquito-borne illnesses as well as developing antiviral drugs, vaccines and new gene drive technology (permanently altering insect genes through genetic engineering) for mosquito control efforts.
“The mosquitoes that spread yellow fever are here in the U.S. and conditions are increasingly favorable for them as our world warms,” said Dr. Desiree LaBeaud, professor of pediatrics-infectious disease at Stanford Medicine and co-author of the publication. “We need a comprehensive plan to better protect at-risk communities in the southern U.S. from mosquito-borne diseases.”