Virginia state health officials, along with the Fairfax County and Loudoun County Health Departments, report investigating a confirmed case of dengue virus infection in a resident who did not have known travel outside of Virginia prior to illness onset.
This is the first documented case of locally acquired dengue in Virginia.
The patient is known to have been in close proximity to a recent internationally acquired case in a Virginian who was diagnosed a couple weeks prior- Transmission of the virus likely occurred when a local mosquito bit the internationally acquired case while infectious and subsequently infected the second case.
There is no evidence of continued transmission and no additional reports of locally acquired dengue cases at this time. The potential risk for acquiring dengue virus in Virginia remains low.
Dengue can range from asymptomatic infection or mild illness to severe disease. The typical incubation period is 5–7 days. The usual clinical presentation includes acute onset of fever accompanied by any of the following symptoms: severe headache, retro-orbital pain, myalgia, nausea and vomiting, arthralgia, and macular or maculopapular rash. Mild symptoms of dengue can be confused with other illnesses that cause fever. Symptoms of dengue typically last 2–7 days. Most people will recover after about a week.
Approximately one in 20 infected people develop severe dengue, which is a medical emergency. Symptoms of dengue can become severe within a few hours. Severe dengue can result in shock, internal bleeding, and death. Warning signs that have been associated with an increased risk for progression to severe dengue include:
Severe abdominal pain or tenderness
Persistent vomiting (≥3 episodes in 1 hr. or ≥4 episodes in 6 hrs.)
Clinical fluid accumulation (e.g., pleural effusion, ascites, or pericardial effusion)
Mucosal bleeding
Altered mental status
Liver enlargement
Progressive increase of the hematocrit (in at least 2 consecutive measurements taken 6 hours apart).
Related news: Florida reports another locally acquired dengue case in Hillsborough County