Mosquito-borne dengue fever cases in Miami-Dade continue to mount

Carli Teproff

Another case of locally transmitted dengue fever has been confirmed, bringing Miami-Dade’s total to 12 this year, the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade said this week.

The uptick in cases comes as dengue fever, a mosquito-borne tropical disease, continues to spread rapidly throughout Latin America, bringing concern that the number of cases in South Florida will continue to rise.

The Pan American Health Organization, a public health agency, released a report that shows there are 2,733,635 dengue cases in the greater Americas region, surpassing the epidemic year of 2015 by 13 percent.

In Florida, Miami-Dade has the most locally transmitted cases. Broward, which reported one case in September, is the only other county in the state to report a local case.

The 12th case, which was announced Monday, does not appear to be connected to any other case, the health department said.

Dengue, which can cause a fever and other symptoms, including vomiting, headache and eye pain, is spread through the bite of an Aedes aegypti mosquito. The same mosquito also spreads the chikungunya and Zika viruses.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM MOSQUITO-BORNE ILLNESSES

▪ Drain water from garbage cans, house gutters, buckets, pool covers, coolers, toys, flower pots or any other containers.

▪ Discard items including tires, drums, bottles, cans, pots and pans, where water can collect.

▪ Empty and clean birdbaths and pet bowls frequently.

▪ Protect boats and vehicles from rain with tarps that don’t accumulate water.

▪ Maintain swimming pools in good condition and keep them appropriately chlorinated.

▪ Wear shoes, socks, long pants and long sleeves.

▪ Apply mosquito repellent with DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, and IR3535 to bare skin and clothing.

▪ Cover doors and windows with screens to keep mosquitoes out of your house.

For more information on dengue, visit the department of health’s website at http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/dengue/index.html.