Seasonal outbreaks of the disease, which affects up to 400 million people worldwide annually, are not unusual in Florida, and they’re often linked to travelers. But this time is a little different, says Michael Johansson, an epidemiologist at Northeastern University. “This is the most locally acquired cases that we've seen in the state,” he says.
However, in parts of the U.S. where Aedes aegypti mosquitoes live, they can bite infected people and start to spread the disease locally. “The general pattern that we see—and we've seen this for more than a decade now—is that there are frequent travel-associated cases” in Florida, says Johansson. “We know we have the right vectors there, especially in southern Florida, where there's lots of Aedes aegypti, and there is some local transmission that occurs. Usually that looks like just one or two cases, but sometimes there are small outbreaks.”
One distinctive feature of dengue, however, is that the second time someone is infected is likely to be much worse than the first. Sometimes a second infection can progress to dengue hemorrhagic fever, which can involve bleeding and a drop in blood pressure, and is sometimes fatal.
Will dengue become endemic in the U.S.?
So far, dengue has not established a permanent foothold in the continental U.S., says Johansson. There are a few reasons why that might be: large numbers of people in Florida, where Aedes aegypti thrive, stay within air-conditioned spaces when they’re most active, which means chains of transmission tend to be short.
How can you protect yourself from dengue?
There is no cure for dengue; the only treatments are for symptoms. If you are in an area with mosquitoes that can carry dengue, the best way to protect yourself is to avoid mosquito bites. Keep windows closed or use screens, cover as much of your skin as possible with clothing when outdoors, and use mosquito repellent, says Johansson.
Cooler weather brings relief. “We're getting to the time of year when things are cooling down, so we should expect a decrease in transmission,” says Johansson. “However, it's still hot in Florida right now”—so it’s not time to drop your guard yet.
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