NJ reports 41 dengue cases as CDC issues health advisory. What you should know

The CDC is warning health care providers and the public of an increased risk of dengue infections in the United States in 2024 as high numbers of the virus are being reported around the world, including in the U.S.

This year, New Jersey has had 41 total cases and is among the five states with the most dengue cases in the country.

Here is everything you need to know about dengue in the United States in 2024.

Dengue CDC health advisory

The CDC issued a health advisory on June 25 as many countries are reporting higher-than-usual dengue case numbers.

According to the advisory, countries in the Americas have reported a record-breaking number of cases in a single year with over 9.7 million cases, twice as many as in all of 2023. Puerto Rico has declared a public health emergency and, in addition, from Jan. 1 to June 24, a higher-than-expected number of cases have been identified among U.S. travelers.

The U.S. has had a total of 2,559 reported cases of dengue this year. Of those, 1,732 were locally acquired and 827 were travel associated. The locally acquired cases were all reported in Puerto Rico, Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The five states with the highest numbers of cases in 2024 are Florida with 218, New York with 143, Massachusetts with 59, New Jersey with 41 and California with 40.

Dengue cases in NJ

Of New Jersey's 41 cases, Bergen, Essex and Middlesex counties have had the most in the state in 2024, according to the New Jersey Department of Health's vector-borne diseases dashboard . All of New Jersey's cases have been travel associated.

What is dengue?

Dengue is a viral disease that is caused by four viruses, DENV-1, -2, -3, and -4. The disease is primarily spread to people through mosquito bites. According to the CDC, it is the most common disease in the world that is spread through a bite from arthropods such as ticks or mosquitos.

Most cases in the United States occur in people who travel to places where infection is common, according to the NJ Department of Health.

Transmission of dengue is most common in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. There are six United States territories and freely associated states that are considered to be areas with frequent dengue transmission, according to the CDC. These areas include Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau.

Dengue cannot be transmitted directly from person to person.

Symptoms

According to the CDC, symptoms of dengue usually start within two weeks of being bitten by a mosquito. Approximately one in four people who are infected will get sick.

The most common symptoms, according to the CDC, include:

• Fever
• Aches and pains (muscles, joints, bones)
• Eye pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Rash

Dengue symptoms typically last two to seven days with most people recovering after about a week.

Approximately one in 20 people who get sick with dengue will become severely ill. Symptoms of severe dengue include:

• Belly pain or tenderness
• Vomiting (at least 3 times in 24 hours)
• Bleeding from the nose or gums
• Vomiting blood or blood in stool
• Feeling extremely tired or restless

If you are experiencing any of those symptoms the CDC recommends that you immediately go to your local clinic or emergency room.

The NJ Department of Health asks that anybody in the state with dengue report it to the local health department within 24 hours of diagnosis.

Preventing mosquito bites

According to the CDC, the best way to prevent dengue is by avoiding mosquito bites.

Some tips that you can follow to avoid mosquito bites include:

• Using EPA-registered insect repellent
• Wearing protective clothing
• Controlling mosquitos indoors and outdoors by using screens on windows and doors, repairing any holes in screens, using air conditioning, and stopping mosquitos from laying eggs in or near water

The NJ Department of Health recommends that you mosquito proof your yard by finding and eliminating places where mosquitos breed. Mosquito larvae can live in any container that holds water and after seven days the larvae will become adult mosquitos.

To mosquito-proof your yard, you can follow the NJDOH's checklist of potential habitats such as buckets, gutters, kiddie pools, watering cans and more.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ reports 41 dengue cases as CDC issues health advisory. What you should know