More dengue fever hits Los Angeles County

Two more locally acquired cases of mosquito-borne dengue fever in Baldwin Park, California, are being investigated, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said Thursday.

The first was confirmed Sept. 9.

Most cases of dengue fever in the U.S. involve travel to a foreign country. Los Angeles County is the only part of the U.S. to have locally acquired cases outside of Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Neither of the new patients has any history of travel abroad to countries where dengue fever is more common, Los Angeles County health officials said.

“This is an unprecedented cluster of locally acquired dengue for a region where dengue has not previously been transmitted by mosquitoes,” LACDPH Director Barbara Ferrer told The Associated Press.

Dengue fever can cause high fever, joint and muscle pain, pain behind the eyes, severe headaches, mild bleeding and rash. Worse cases can impair the patient’s organs and cause shock and more intense bleeding, health officials said.

“The city of Baldwin Park is aware of the recent cases of locally acquired dengue in our community. …  We urge all residents to use EPA-registered insect repellent, eliminate standing water around your homes and ensure your window and door screens are in good condition,” Baldwin Park Mayor Emmanuel Estrada said in the LACDPH release.