By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

In a follow-up on the dengue fever situation in south Florida, the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County are reporting three additional locally transmitted dengue fever infections.

Image/CDC

This brings the number of  autochthonous dengue cases to 14 in Monroe County (Florida Keys) and 15 total in the state in 2020.

Dengue can present as a severe flu-like illness with severe muscle aches and pain, fever and sometimes a rash. Usually, there are no respiratory symptoms. Symptoms of Dengue will appear within 14 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Dengue fever is not contagious but is transmitted by the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito.

The emergence of these Dengue cases reinforces the importance for the public to prevent insect bites and to take basic precautions to help limit exposure. These measures include intact windows and screens and the use of air conditioning, keeping the area around your residence free from containers that collect water, wearing protective clothing and the appropriate use of insect repellents.

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