Florida county issues dengue fever alert

Health officials in the Florida Keys have issued a dengue fever alert after two locally acquired cases of the mosquito-borne illness were reported in the area.

The Florida Department of Health in Monroe County said it’s working with the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District on surveillance and prevention efforts — including increased door-to-door inspections and aerial spraying — as the number of cases of the disease hit new records in countries across the globe.

The alert comes just days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned public health authorities and healthcare providers of an “increased risk of dengue virus” in the U.S. in 2024.

Dengue fever can present as a flu-like illness with symptoms including “severe muscle aches and joint pain, fever, and sometimes a rash,” according to the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County.

High fever can last between five and seven days, officials said.

Dengue fever is not contagious and can’t be transmitted directly from person to person. Transmission occurs when an Aedes aegypti mosquito becomes infected by biting a person with the virus. That infected mosquito will then transmit the virus when biting another person. Symptoms will appear 14 days after that.

Mosquitoes breed by laying eggs in standing water. As a precaution, residents are being urged to “empty or cover” any containers where water can accumulate — including tires, toys, pool covers and roof gutters.

“ As little as one teaspoon or bottle cap of water standing for more than one week is enough for mosquitoes to breed and multiply,” according to the Florida Department of Health.

Residents are being urged to wear shoes, socks, long pants and long-sleeve shirts. People should also apply insect repellent to exposed skin, stay indoors and keep screens on all windows, officials say.

According to the CDC, 2,241 dengue cases have been confirmed in 43 jurisdictions in 2024 so far — including 1,498 in Puerto Rico. Most of the cases were reported in people who traveled to areas with a high incidence of the illness.