Swarm of mosquitos over lake – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by: VladKK
As the number of dengue virus infections increased this month, Florida health authorities issued a mosquito-borne sickness notice for Broward County.
Miami-Dade County now joins Broward County, which includes Fort Lauderdale, as the disease spreads throughout the region.
In its report on the arbovirus surveillance covering the period from July 30 to August 5, the Florida Department of Health noted two cases of locally acquired dengue in Broward County.
This year, the Sunshine State has seen 10 locally acquired dengue cases, most of which have been in Miami-Dade County.
Most of the 10 were made public in July.
“Ten cases have been serotyped by PCR,” the department wrote.
“In 2022, there were two locally acquired dengue cases,” the department in Broward County said.
This year, Florida residents having a history of travel to a region where dengue is endemic in the two weeks prior to commencement accounted for roughly 200 cases.
Ten of those instances were documented among non-Florida residents, and one of those cases matched the requirements for severe dengue, according to the department.
Dengue is typically absent in Florida and is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito.
Infected travelers, however, have the ability to transmit the virus to Florida mosquitoes.
People having a history of the infection, expectant mothers, young children, the elderly, and those with co-morbid conditions are at higher risk of contracting the disease.
Notably, people without any of these risk factors can also get severe illness.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 225 cases have been documented in states all throughout the United States this year.
In 2010, dengue fever became a condition that required nationwide notification.
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Mike has more than 30 years of experience in marketing and public relations. He once owned his own agency and has worked with some of the largest brands in the world.
