United States: The “first” case of locally acquired dengue virus was reported on Monday, as confirmed by the Texas Department of State Health Services found in Cameron County.
The official report suggested that there have been one hundred and six travel-related dengue cases in the state in the present year, with one fatal. This is the highest annual rate of cases of dengue in the state since 2002.
More about the news
The “Locally acquired” means that the individuals involved have not recently or ever at all been to regions where dengue most commonly transmits, ABC News reported.
Dengue fever is usually widespread in tropical and subtropical regions of the globe, such as Florida, and territories of the US, such as the Caribbean.
Dengue fever is caused by a virus that is spread by mosquitoes, and only one in four people who are infected will develop any clinical signs of the disease.
🚨🇺🇸 FIRST LOCALLY ACQUIRED DENGUE CASE REPORTED IN TEXAS FOR 2024
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) November 26, 2024
Texas has reported its first locally acquired dengue virus case of the year in Cameron County, public health officials announced.
This comes as the state also reported 106 travel-associated dengue cases, the… pic.twitter.com/BtD9TKfRla
It’s characterized by fever with aches and pains, nausea, vomiting, and rashes. Signs start in 2-3 days and manifest within two weeks of contact with an infected mosquito, lasting between two and seven days.
Most illnesses are resolved within a week, but other symptoms may take up to two years to disappear.
The CDC has said that the best way to stop dengue is to avoid mosquito bites in the first place.
About the rising cases
Even as Texas reveals the first locally transmitted case this year, the national tally stands at 4959 cases, the CDC reveals.
The other locally acquired case was reported in Texas last year. Most of the local cases in the nation are in Puerto Rico. California has reported fifteen, and Florida has reported fifty-three, according to ABC News.
There were more than triple the number of domestically-acquired dengue fever cases this year up to now nationally than the total for the previous year.
The CDC had provided a health alert in June to the biomedical importance of the fact that this year’s threat of dengue virus infection had surged.
Worldwide, the incidence of new cases of dengue has been the largest, according to the CDC.
Moreover, Texas health officials also warned that mosquitos stay active in November and December.