More dengue reported in Miami-Dade and Pasco Counties, Florida
Florida state health officials reported five additional locally acquired dengue fever cases this past week in Miami-Dade (4) and Pasco (1) counties. This brings the total local transmission of dengue in the state to 45 cases through October 5.
To date, the following eight counties have reported cases- Broward, Hillsborough (3), Manatee, Miami-Dade (28), Monroe (3), Orange (2), Palm Beach (2), and Pasco (5) counties.
Thirty-eight cases have been serotyped by PCR, which show 34 cases type as DENV-3, while four cases typed as DENV-1.
In the previous 10 years (2014-2023), Florida has recorded 376 locally acquired dengue cases, with 199 reported in 2023 alone.
As far as travel associated dengue cases reported in 2024 to date, health authorities report 43 additional cases, bringing the total to 591
More than 2,400 travel associated dengue cases have been reported in the decade prior to this year.
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).
Until 2009, there were no reports of dengue acquired in Florida since 1934. In 2009 -2010, an outbreak of dengue was identified in Key West.
Several cases are reported in Florida each year in people traveling to areas where the disease is present. These imported cases are usually from dengue endemic regions such as the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Asia.