Virus alert in parts of Florida as dengue spreads across counties and number of cases reported across the state rises
Virus alert in parts of Florida as dengue spreads across counties and reported cases rise in state
- A rise in dengue cases has led to a virus alert in some parts of Florida
- The Florida Department of Health reported two cases of dengue in Broward County
- So far this year, 10 cases of locally contracted dengue have been reported across Florida
A rise in dengue cases has prompted a virus alert in parts of Florida following a rise in cases across the state.
Broward County, home to Fort Lauderdale, has joined Miami-Dade County in issuing a warning as the disease continues to spread.
The Florida Department of Health reported two cases of the infection in the Broward County arbovirus surveillance report, which covers dates between July 30 and August 5.
There have been 10 cases of locally contracted dengue reported in Florida so far this year, most of them in July in Miami-Dade County.
“Ten cases have been serotyped by PCR,” the Florida Department of Health wrote.
Broward County, home to Fort Lauderdale, has joined Miami-Dade County in issuing a warning as the disease continues to spread. Pictured: Fort Lauderdale beach in Florida (file image)
While mosquitoes are widely known for spreading the disease malaria, they are also responsible for emitting the lesser-known strain of dengue. In the photo: a yellow fever mosquito sucking blood
“In 2022, there were two locally contracted cases of dengue,” the Broward County department added.
The alert was also lifted as a precaution after a total of nearly 200 cases were reported across Florida this year.
They were contracted by individuals known to have a history of traveling to a dengue-endemic area in the two weeks before it spread across the state.
The department noted that 10 of those cases were reported among non-Florida residents, with one case even classified as severe dengue.
While mosquitoes are widely known for spreading the disease malaria, they are also responsible for emitting the lesser-known strain of dengue.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Dengue viruses are spread to humans through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. Nearly half of the world’s population, about 4 billion people, live in areas at risk for dengue.
A dengue vaccine is approved for use in children ages 9 to 16 with laboratory-confirmed prior dengue virus infection and who live in areas where dengue is endemic (common). Endemic areas include some US territories and Freely Associated States,” it adds.
The CDC says there are 225 cases of dengue reported in the US so far in 2023.