NewsDesk @bactiman63

The Florida Department of Health reported the second locally acquired dengue fever case of the year this past week in Miami-Dade County.

Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

Both cases in 2023, one with onset in January and the latest in March, were from Miami-Dade County. In addition, both cases were serotyped by PCR as DENV-3.

Last year, health officials reported 68 locally acquired dengue cases from four counties: Collier, Broward (2), Miami-Dade (64), and Volusia counties.

Dengue infection is acquired through the bite of certain species of mosquitoes, primarily Aedes aegypti, but also Aedes albopictus, both of which are present in Florida.

Dengue fever can be a painful, debilitating disease but is rarely fatal. Symptoms appear 3-14 days after the bite of an infected mosquito and include sudden onset of fever, severe headache, eye pain, muscle and joint pain (giving the disease the nickname “breakbone fever”), and bleeding. Gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea may also be present in some cases. Dengue fever symptoms usually lasts 4-7 days. The disease is often diagnosed incorrectly because the symptoms are similar to influenza and other viruses.

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Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a rare but more severe form of dengue infection that can be fatal if not recognized and treated with supportive care. The primary risk factor for hemorrhagic fever is previous infection with a different dengue serotype (i.e. getting DENV-2 if you have already DENV-1 puts you at increased risk of hemorrhagic fever).