The United States is at increased risk of mosquito-borne dengue fever — which can be fatal in severe cases.
The warning comes as the number of cases of the virus rises in America. More than 9.7 million dengue cases have been reported in the first half of 2024 — twice as many as in all of 2023, according to a warning issued this week by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Puerto Rico declared dengue a public health emergency in March when the number of cases reached more than 500; but now, the CDC says dengue cases there have nearly tripled, reaching 1,498.
Stock image of Puerto Rico, which is experiencing a dengue health emergency.
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The CDC also notes that 745 cases have been identified among U.S. travelers, a number the agency calls “higher than expected.”
Limited “local spread” of the virus has been reported in Florida, Hawaii, Texas, Arizona and California, the agency said.
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About 1 in 4 people will develop symptoms, the CDC says.
Those who do can develop “high fever, headache, body aches, nausea and rashes. Most will feel better in 1-2 weeks. Some people develop severe dengue fever and need hospital care,” says the World Health Organization.
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Severe dengue can be fatal, the WHO says – and those infected a second time are at greater risk of developing severe dengue.
As the CDC says in its warning: “Be aware of warning signs of progression to severe dengue, which include abdominal pain or tenderness, persistent vomiting, clinical fluid retention, mucosal bleeding, lethargy or restlessness, and liver enlargement.”
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Picture of a rash caused by dengue fever.
Getty
Mosquito populations are on the rise — something the Environmental Protection Agency attributed to climate change in its report on another mosquito-borne virus: West Nile virus.
“Studies show that higher temperatures associated with climate change may accelerate mosquito development, biting rates and disease incubation within the mosquito,” the EPA said.
The mosquitoes that spread dengue fever are the same ones that spread the Zika and chikungunya viruses, the CDC says.
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The agency adds that they lay their eggs in standing water — such as around flower pots and on top of containers — and recommends wearing insect repellent, longer clothing and taking steps to control mosquitoes in your home.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education