Dengue fever outbreak increases in Florida

[Pastor Dale Morgan]

Plagues, Pestilences and Diseases

Dengue fever outbreak increases in Florida


The number of dengue fever cases, a mosquito-borne disease that can cause mild to serious symptoms and even death, has increased this month, according to the Florida Department of Health.

While dengue fever has not caused any deaths in Florida this year, health officials asked residents to take precautions such as wearing protective clothing, using mosquito repellents and draining still water near the home, like  the water in bird baths, to prevent the pests from breeding.

Dengue fever is common in the tropics and can cause symptoms like high fever, rash, severe bleeding and even death. The recent outbreak in Florida has puzzled local health authorities, who say the last outbreak occurred in 1934.

Officials said that 29 locally acquired cases of dengue fever have been reported through mid-August. The state officials also detected 67 “imported” cases of dengue fever, which means it involved people who had traveled to areas under a dengue endemic, such as the Caribbean or Central and South America.

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Dr. Carina Blackmore, the department of health's state public health veterinarian, said officials need more data to answer questions about why the outbreak is occurring now.

“We do know that we used to have dengue in Florida,” she said in a press briefing Tuesday. “Why we’re currently experiencing an outbreak, I can’t answer that question.”

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Meanwhile, Florida authorities are also tracking two other mosquito-transmitted viruses:  West Nile and Eastern equine encephalitis.

There have been four deaths in Florida caused by EEE, one of the most severe mosquito-transmitted diseases, which can cause headaches, fevers, chills and could progress into seizures or coma. It has a 33 percent mortality rate for victims, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s an average year for EEE in Florida in comparison with previous years.

West Nile virus usually peaks in August and September. Florida officials confirmed one human case last week, Blackmore said. The activity of West Nile virus, in comparison to previous summers is slow, she added.