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South Florida seeing rise in cases of dengue as officials keep close eye

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Climate change hasn’t just made Florida a breeding ground for more mosquitos, but ones with a more potent viral bite.

This comes as Miami becomes ground zero in the U.S. fight against dengue due to an explosion of cases in Latin America and the Caribbean making its way to South Florida.

“Now anyone who is traveling to Latin America should be particularly alarmed because cases of dengue are higher than ever,” said Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious disease expert at Florida International University.

There have been 67 cases of dengue in Miami-Dade County and 24 in Broward County, according to the CDC.

“If we see it in Latin America, definitely we expect it here,” said Dr. Cheryl Holder, Founding Co-Chair and Executive Director of Florida Clinicians for Climate Action.

Most of the cases in South Florida are travel-related as global health leaders track an explosion of cases across Latin America and the Caribbean.

“Brazil is having a rapid increased in dengue,” said Holder.

Mosquitos spread the viral infection to people and rising global temperatures are raising the stakes, giving the tropical biting insect more territory to thrive in.

That’s a contributing factor to the escalating prevalence of dengue.

“Happier, biting more, feeding more, and replicating more, prime conditions that the planet warming has made,” she said.

“As the temperature rises, the amount of virus reproduction increased therefore each bite has more dengue particles than before,” added Marty.

Common symptoms of dengue include fever, aches and pains, and nausea or vomiting, and, in more severe cases, edema.

“One of the big complications with severe dengue is fluid leaks out of your blood vessels, you basically drown in your lungs from your own fluids,” said Marty. “That is what makes this such a dangerous, dangerous virus, and why it can kill.”

“Now what has improved in our condition is our surveillance methods are better,” added Holder. “We have a better mosquito control system and better overall sanitation than a lot of poorer countries.”

Marty said it could take between three days and two weeks to see the symptoms, but with four varieties of dengue, there is no anti-viral available, there is a vaccine.

“There is a vaccine, more than one that has been developed. However, we do not give that vaccine to anyone who has not had dengue because part of the complication with dengue is that there are four different kinds, and the risk of severe disease goes up if you have had one type and then see another type,” she said. “So we give the vaccine to people who are traveling to a dengue area who have already had dengue. Now, unfortunately, Miami-Dade is a dengue area right now, our case numbers are low, but we have mosquitos that are infected.”

MIAMI-DADE MOSQUITO CONTROL TO EXPAND SPRAYING COVERAGE STARTING JUNE 1

Truck Spraying schedule

GET YOUR HOME AND BUSINESS INSPECTED AND TREATED FOR FREE

Miami-Dade offers residents inspections of homes and business at no additional cost, and if mosquito breeding or adults are found, any necessary treatment. Requests can be made by calling 311, using the web at miamidade.gov/mosquitoinspection, or through one of several mobile apps.

TIPS FROM MIAMI-DADE COUNTY MOSQUITO CONTROL

Remove standing water

Additional tips here: bit.ly/MDCSpring2024

MORE INFORMATION FROM THE CDC

Globally, there are about 40,000 dengue associated deaths annually.

Early recognition of dengue and prompt intravenous fluid management, when indicated, reduces mortality to <1%, whereas untreated dengue can have a case-fatality ratio as high as 13%.

Which vulnerable populations are most at risk for serious illness/death?

Almost half of the world’s population, about 4 billion people, live in areas with a risk of dengue.

Anyone who lives in or travels to an area with risk of dengue is at risk for infection.

Infants, elderly people, people with a second dengue infection or people with comorbidities (like diabetes, hypertension) are at higher risk for severe dengue.

What should someone do if they get it?

There is no specific medicine to treat dengue. See a healthcare provider if fever or symptoms of dengue develop. Tell your doctor if you have traveled.

  • Rest as much as possible.
  • Take acetaminophen to control fever and relieve pain.
  • Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.

Is there any CDC related interviews or video that we could use for broadcast today with a CDC courtesy?

Working with Mosquitoes at CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/media/b_roll.html#:~:text=Working%20with%20Mosquitoes%20at%20CDC

Aedes aegypti Mosquito Life Cycle: https://www.cdc.gov/media/b_roll.html#:~:text=Aedes%20aegypti%20Mosquito%20Life%20Cycle


About the Author
Christina Vazquez headshot

Christina returned to Local 10 in 2019 as a reporter after covering Hurricane Dorian for the station. She is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist and previously earned an Emmy Award while at WPLG for her investigative consumer protection segment "Call Christina."

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