Too Early To Talk About An Epidemic Of Dengue Fever In The United States

Too Early To Talk About An Epidemic Of Dengue Fever In The United States.
Two more cases of dengue fever were reported by condition officials in Florida this week, bringing the complete to 46 confirmed cases since hold out September, but a excel government health official said it's too early to say whether the mosquito-borne tropical illness is gaining a foothold in the United States. "We don't know how dengue got to Key West, and whether or not it's endemic," said Harold Margolis, leader of the dengue spin-off of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in San Juan, PR. "It's only booming to play out as we watch to see what happens during this warm, wet period of time, which is when dengue is at its peak".

And "That's the maladjusted with a disease like this. You have to watch it but, at the same time, you also have to essay to control it". The most common virus transmitted by mosquitoes, dengue causes up to 100 million infections and 25000 deaths worldwide each year. The infection is found mostly in tropical climates, and many parts of the world, including Central and South America and the Caribbean, are currently experiencing epidemics.

In Puerto Rico, for instance, there have been at least five deaths and more than 6000 suspected cases of dengue this year. Margolis said it's doable that the Florida outbreak is an anchoretic incident. "We've seen this happen in other parts of the world, such as in northern Australia, where travelers re-emergence with the infection and launch dengue, it spreads for a while of time, and then it goes away".

In the United States, a smattering of locally acquired cases in Texas have been reported since 1980, and all of them have coincided with massive outbreaks in neighboring Mexican cities. The stand up dengue outbreak in Florida was 75 years ago, according to the CDC.

The disease typically causes flu-like symptoms such as peak fever, headache, and achy muscles, bones and joints. Symptoms typically begin about two to seven days after being bitten. "It's also called breakbone fever, because some bodies get in horrible, severe pains in their bones and joints," explained Dr Bert Lopansri, medical principal of the Loyola University Health System International Medicine and Traveler's Immunization Clinic, in Maywood, Ill. There is no prescription or vaccine, and in most cases the illness resolves on its own within a connect of weeks.

Some people who contract the virus have relatively mild symptoms and may not even realize they've been exposed, according to the CDC. In fact, when fitness officials in Key West collected blood samples from 240 masses in randomly selected households last year, they found that 5 percent had dengue running in their systems or had antibodies to the virus, suggesting that they'd been infected within the previous three months.

While dengue fever is not contagious, an infected mortal can act as a carrier and indirectly plaster the disease to another person (and possibly a new location) if he or she gets bitten by another mosquito, which then bites and infects someone else. There are four strains of dengue, and once you have been infected by one strain, you're at a greater danger of developing a more crucial form of the disease if you're unlucky enough to get bitten by a mosquito infected with one of the other strains.

In Key West, the infinite majority of people infected with dengue have been residents rather than visitors, which is not surprising given the demanding habits of the type of mosquito that transmits the virus, according to Margolis. Aedes mosquitoes nurture to live around households, feed during the early morning and late afternoon, and species in flowerpots and other small containers of water that people have around their houses.

Nevertheless, Margolis cautioned travelers to instruct themselves about where the disease is, and the best ways to prevent it. "There's a lot of dengue in many parts of the world virtuousness now. For instance, Mexico, Guatemala and Colombia all have very large epidemics. So if you're thriving to be traveling to any of these places, you need to make sure you protect yourself". That includes using mosquito repellants and wearing fancy pants and long sleeves as much as possible.

According to Lopansri, the most serviceable mosquito repellents contain either DEET or picaridin. Products that contain citronella or other plant-based ingredients aren't as moving at repelling mosquitoes extenderdeluxeshop. "And if you travel to an area where outbreaks have been found and you then develop a fever, bother and body aches, be sure to tell your doctor".