CDC issues warning about dengue fever in US as 16 travelers to Georgia fall ill

GEORGIA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued a new warning for the Americas as dengue fever cases hit a record high. So far, 16 travelers from Georgia have been infected with the virus.

According to the CDC, the dengue virus is transmitted to people through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which also spreads Zika virus, chikungunya and other viruses.

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Each year, up to 400 million people are infected with one of the four dengue viruses, according to the CDC. About 100 million people become sick from the infection and 40,000 die from severe dengue.

In its most recent warning, the CDC said countries in the Americas have reported more than 9.7 million cases of dengue fever, twice the 4.6 million cases reported in 2023.

According to the CDC, as of July 2, all cases of dengue fever in Georgia have been reported in residents who were traveling. No cases have been locally transmitted.

The travelers came from Clarke, Clayton, DeKalb, Cherokee, Forsyth, Cobb, Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale counties, according to CDC data. Each of them had between 1 and 4 travelers infected with the virus.

The most common symptoms of dengue fever are fever with nausea, vomiting, rash, and body aches. There is no specific medication to treat dengue fever, and most people recover within about a week.

According to the CDC, about one in 20 people will develop severe dengue fever, which can lead to shock, internal bleeding and even death, although deaths are rare.

Anyone experiencing symptoms should go to a local clinic or emergency room immediately, health officials said.