Florida county issues dengue fever warning

Florida Keys health authorities have issued a dengue fever alert after two locally transmitted cases of the mosquito-borne disease were reported in the area.

The Florida Department of Health in Monroe County said it is working with the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District on surveillance and prevention efforts – including increased door-to-door inspections and aerial spraying – as cases of the disease reach new record levels in countries around the globe.

The warning comes just days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned health officials and healthcare providers of an “increased risk from dengue virus” in the United States in 2024.

Dengue fever can present as a flu-like illness with symptoms such as “severe muscle and joint pain, fever and sometimes a rash,” according to the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County.

High fever can last between five and seven days, officials said.

Dengue fever is not contagious and cannot be transmitted directly from person to person. Transmission occurs when a Aedes aegypti A mosquito becomes infected by biting a human. The infected mosquito then transmits the virus when it bites another human. Symptoms appear 14 days later.

Mosquitoes reproduce by laying their eggs in standing water. As a precautionary measure, residents are being asked to “drain or cover” any containers where water can collect, including tires, toys, pool covers and gutters.

“Just a teaspoon or bottle cap full of water left standing for more than a week is enough for mosquitoes to breed and multiply,” says a statement from the Florida Department of Health.

Residents are urged to wear shoes, socks, long pants and long-sleeved shirts. Additionally, people should apply insect repellent to exposed skin, stay indoors and install screens on all windows, officials say.

According to the CDC, so far in 2024, 2,241 cases of dengue have been confirmed in 43 jurisdictions, including 1,498 in Puerto Rico. Most cases have been reported in people who have traveled to areas with high rates of disease.