The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently issued a health alert regarding the risk of dengue fever infections in the United States. This comes after an increase in dengue fever cases across the country, with at least 13 cases reported in Palm Beach County alone. According to the CDC, most local transmission of dengue in the U.S. occurs in areas where the disease is common, such as U.S. territories and freely associated states.
As of now, there have been a total of 2,241 reported cases in the U.S. this year, with the majority of cases being travel-related. Puerto Rico has declared a public health emergency with nearly 1,500 cases reported, while Florida has the highest number of cases in the continental U.S., primarily in Miami-Dade County. Palm Beach County has also reported 13 cases, all of which are travel-related. There have been no reported cases in neighboring counties as of Wednesday morning.
Dengue fever symptoms can occur within a few days of being bitten by an infected mosquito but may take up to two weeks to develop. Common symptoms include fever, nausea, rash, and body pain, while severe cases can lead to shock, internal bleeding, and even death. Dengue is spread through mosquito bites and there is currently no widely available vaccine to prevent infection. The best way to prevent dengue is to protect yourself from mosquito bites by keeping skin covered when outdoors, wearing loose-fitting clothing