CBS Miami – Health officials have issued an alert in the Florida Keys after two people were confirmed to have dengue fever.
The local alert comes days after the CDC issued a health advisory warning of an increased risk of dengue infections in the country.
The two confirmed dengue cases in the Keys were locally acquired, which means the people didn’t get sick while traveling. Miami-Dade County has also reported locally acquired dengue cases this year.
It takes two cases for an alert to be issued.
In Broward Mosquito control is using drones to get the pests in hard to reach places. They’re spreading larvicide granules, killing mosquitos before they hatch.
“In particular, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand rank among the world’s 30 most highly endemic countries. Compared to 2022, in 2023, Bangladesh and Thailand recorded a larger number of dengue cases.” – WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
“We are trying to be proactive and trying to reduce the mass as much as possible the adult mosquito population by preventing the larva to turn into adult mosquito,” said Adriana Toro with Broward Mosquito Control.
This is especially important as 2 cases of Dengue Fever have been reported in Key West. Locally there are 104 in Miami-Dade this year, those are travel related with 6 contracted locally. In Broward there are 30 – all travel related.
“We work closely with CDC. And when they have reports of Dengue cases we work together with them we spray those areas in more, more intensely,” Toro said.
The type of mosquito that can carry dengue is the kind found around people’s homes.
Symptoms of dengue
- Fever
- Headache
- Eye pain
- Muscle, joint, or bone pain
- Rash
- Nausea and vomiting
- Unusual bleeding from the nose or gums
