CDC warns of increased risk of dengue fever in the USA

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health alert on Tuesday warning authorities, health care providers and the public about the increased risk of dengue fever infection in the United States.

The warning came after an unexpectedly high number of dengue fever cases were reported nationwide, according to the CDC.

So far this year, a total of 2,241 cases have been reported in the 50 states, and another 1,498 cases in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, where a health emergency was declared in March after the number of cases exceeded all previous figures.

The CDC reported 3,036 cases of dengue in the United States and its territories last year.

This year, there have been more cases of dengue fever worldwide than ever before, especially in Latin American countries, where more than 9.7 million dengue cases have been reported. That’s twice the number of cases reported in all of 2023 (4.6 million cases), according to the CDC.

The number of dengue fever infections has skyrocketed as many countries report increasingly warmer temperatures, creating ideal conditions for dengue fever mosquitoes to hatch in large numbers and transmit larger quantities of the virus.

The most common symptom in people infected with the mosquito-borne disease is fever. Other symptoms include severe headache, nausea, vomiting, rash and body aches.

Symptoms can be mild or severe. Most patients with dengue fever recover within a week, but in severe cases the disease can be life-threatening and require hospitalization as it can lead to shock, internal bleeding and even death.

People who have had dengue fever in the past are more likely to develop severe symptoms. According to the CDC, a person can get dengue fever up to four times in their lifetime—once for each type of virus that can cause the disease.

The latest CDC alert advises health care providers to increase their vigilance for dengue in people with fever, especially if they have recently traveled to areas with high dengue transmission. They are advised to promptly report all dengue cases to health authorities and to promote measures to prevent mosquito bites.

The CDC said it is also implementing other measures, including improving and expanding laboratory testing to more effectively diagnose cases and educating the public about the disease and ways to prevent it.

Helpful prevention methods include staying in air-conditioned areas whenever possible, using insect repellent, and wearing long-sleeved clothing and long pants to avoid mosquito bites.