Florida Keys Issues Dengue Fever Alert After Two Cases Reported There

WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Health officials in the Florida Keys have issued a dengue fever alert after two confirmed cases of the mosquito-borne disease were reported there.

In the alert, issued this week by the Monroe County Department of Health, officials said they were taking precautions to curb the spread of dengue fever. Those measures include stepping up door-to-door mosquito inspections; enhancing mosquito surveillance; spraying aerial mosquito treatments as necessary; and driving through neighborhoods and spraying mosquito treatments from trucks as needed.

But the threat of dengue fever is not limited to Florida: Just last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a nationwide advisory about the increased risk of dengue fever infections in the United States.

Puerto Rico has been the hardest hit: Of the 2,241 U.S. dengue cases reported so far this year, 1,498 occurred in that U.S. territory in the Caribbean. In March, a public health emergency was declared there after cases of the mosquito-borne illness broke historical records.