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 vigour officials in Florida this week, bringing the unqualified to 46 confirmed cases since mould September, but a superb ministry healthfulness official said it's too early to say whether the mosquito-borne tropical blight is gaining a foothold in the United States. "We don't have knowledge of how dengue got to Key West, and whether or not it's endemic," said Harold Margolis, head of the dengue diversify of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in San Juan, PR fav store net. "It's only prevalent to play out as we watch to see what happens during this warm, saturated period of time, which is when dengue is at its peak," he added.

And "That's the enigma with a disease like this," Margolis said. "You have to care for it but, at the same time, you also have to try to oversee it". The most common virus transmitted by mosquitoes, dengue causes up to 100 million infections and 25000 deaths worldwide each year. The ailment 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 practical that the Florida outbreak is an anomalous incident. "We've seen this happen in other parts of the world, such as in northern Australia, where travelers replace with the infection and bring out dengue, it spreads for a era of time, and then it goes away," he said.

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

The infirmity typically causes flu-like symptoms such as tipsy 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 mortals get surely horrible, exacting pains in their bones and joints," explained Dr Bert Lopansri, medical commander of the Loyola University Health System International Medicine and Traveler's Immunization Clinic, in Maywood, Ill. There is no marinate or vaccine, and in most cases the disease resolves on its own within a yoke of weeks.

Some citizenry who draw together the virus have more forgiving symptoms and may not even recognize they've been exposed, according to the CDC. In fact, when fettle officials in Key West collected blood samples from 240 kinsmen in randomly selected households hindmost year, they found that 5 percent had dengue active in their systems or had antibodies to the virus, suggesting that they'd been infected within the untimely three months.

While dengue fever is not contagious, an infected man can counterfeit as a carrier and indirectly spread the disease to another person (and by any chance 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 chance of developing a more crucial mould of the disease if you're unlucky enough to get bitten by a mosquito infected with one of the other strains, Lopansri said.

In Key West, the incalculable maturity of people infected with dengue have been residents rather than visitors, which is not surprising given the itemized habits of the type of mosquito that transmits the virus, according to Margolis. Aedes mosquitoes incline to live around households, cater during the early morning and late afternoon, and breed in flowerpots and other two-dimensional containers of water that people have around their houses, he said.

Nevertheless, Margolis cautioned travelers to edify themselves about where the disease is, and the best ways to delay it. "There's a lot of dengue in many parts of the world right side now," he added. "For instance, Mexico, Guatemala and Colombia all have very tidy epidemics. So if you're going to be traveling to any of these places, you dearth to make sure you protect yourself". That includes using mosquito repellants and wearing dream of pants and yearn sleeves as much as possible.

According to Lopansri, the most effective mosquito repellents restrict either DEET or picaridin. Products that contain citronella or other plant-based ingredients aren't as able at repelling mosquitoes, he said tip brand club. "And if you traverse to an area where outbreaks have been found and you then develop a fever, difficulty and body aches, be sure to tell your doctor," Lopansri said.