Close-up of yellow fever mosquito biting human skin, it is the mosquito vector of malaria, yellow fever, chikungunya, dengue and Zika viruses in Brazil and is known locally as dengue mosquito.
Joao Paolo Brini | Moment | Getty Images
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory on Tuesday alerting authorities, health care providers and the public about the increased risk of dengue infection in the United States.
The alert comes amid an unexpected increase in the number of dengue cases reported across the country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A total of 2,241 cases have been reported in the United States so far this year, including 1,498 in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. Public health emergency declared in March after the case exceed historical figures.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 3,036 dengue cases were reported last year In the United States and its territories.
Incidence rate this year Global dengue fever has reached a record high in history, especially in Latin American countries, more than 9.7 million dengue cases have been reported. That number is double the number for all of 2023 (4.6 million cases), according to the CDC.
As many countries report increasingly hotter temperatures, dengue infections are surging, creating ideal conditions for dengue fever. Mosquitoes that spread dengue fever hatch in large numbers and carry more viruses.
The most common symptom for people infected with mosquito-borne diseases is fever. Other symptoms include severe headache, nausea, vomiting, rash and body aches.
Symptoms may be mild or severe. Most dengue patients recover within a week, but in severe cases, the disease can be life-threatening and require hospitalization as it can cause 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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a person can get dengue fever up to four times in their lifetime, once with each virus that can cause the disease.
The CDC’s latest alert advises health care providers to raise suspicion for dengue fever in people with a fever, especially if they have recently traveled to areas with high dengue transmission. They are advised to promptly report any dengue cases to public health authorities and promote measures to prevent mosquito bites.
The CDC said it is also implementing other measures, such as improving and expanding laboratory testing to diagnose cases more efficiently and educating the public about the disease and how to prevent it.
Some helpful prevention methods include staying in air-conditioned areas when possible, using insect repellent, and wearing long sleeves and pants to avoid mosquito bites.
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