Two in Upper Florida Keys contract dengue fever

The Florida Department of Health in Monroe County has confirmed that two Upper Keys residents have contracted locally-acquired dengue fever.

These are the first two cases reported in the Florida Keys in roughly two years. A Keys person contracted dengue fever while traveling outside the Keys in 2022 but reported after returning to the Keys. The two recent cases were contracted in the Upper Keys, according to the Health Department.

The Health Department and Florida Keys Mosquito Control District are coordinating surveillance and prevention efforts that include intensified door-to-door mosquito inspections, enhanced mosquito surveillance with trapping and monitoring, aerial larvicide and adulticide mosquito treatments as necessary and truck-mounted larvicide and adulticide mosquito treatments as necessary, according to Health Department and the Mosquito Control District news releases issued during the weekend.

Mosquito Control has increased mosquito control operations in Key Largo and Upper Matecumbe Key in the wake of the two cases, the agency stated in its news release, and on Monday, aerial larviciding missions over the western portion of Key West were rescheduled to Tuesday, July 2, because of recent rains, according to the Mosquito Control District.

Dengue can present as a flu-like illness with severe muscle aches and joint 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, according to the Health Department.

Homeowners can prevent bites by wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, utilize a proven mosquito repellent with Deet, and keep mosquitoes out of their residence by making sure that doors and windows are closed and screens are free of tears or holes, according to the Mosquito Control District.

Public awareness is the front line of defense in the fight against mosquito-borne disease, the Mosquito Control stated in its press release on Saturday. Property owners can make a difference by taking a few simple steps to remove potential breeding sites by eliminating any standing water by turning over and removing empty pots, buckets, trash cans, recycle bins, pet bowls and children’s toys. Residents should check tarps on boats or equipment and make sure gutters are clear and free of debris and regularly flush fresh water into bromeliads, hanging plants, and bird baths.

There have been two major outbreaks of dengue fever in the Florida Keys since 2009. In the summer of 2020, Key Largo experienced a significant dengue fever outbreak, with more than 70 reported cases, Huff said.

Key West experienced a dengue outbreak beginning in 2009, with 93 reported cases between 2009 and 2010 in Key West, according to the Health Department. There was one reported case of dengue fever in 2016.

People can place a service request with the with Mosquito Control District by visiting keysmosquito.org or calling 305-292-7190.