Day: June 25, 2024

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an alert on Tuesday advising health care providers and public health authorities about an elevated risk of dengue fever infections in the U.S.

The viral disease, which spreads through mosquito bites, has affected at least 2,241 people in the nation this year, according to the CDC. 

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The greatest number of cases on the continental U.S. have been recorded in Florida, New York and Massachusetts. But the crux of U.S. cases has been recorded in Puerto Rico, where nearly 1,500 cases have been reported in 2024. (U.S. travelers also reported a high number of infections at 745 cases.) The U.S. territory issued their own public health emergency this March, while the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an emergency related to the virus last December.

The spread of the disease has been exacerbated by increasingly wet and warm summer months brought forward by El Niño. Experts say that the climate is ideal for mosquitoes that can carry the virus to reproduce and continue to spread dengue. 

Dengue affects about 400 million people annually. Here’s what to know about the virus. 

What is dengue?

Dengue is a viral disease more commonly experienced in tropical and subtropical climates, according to WHO. There are four different virus types. 

Infected Aedes species mosquitoes can spread the disease to humans. Many infected persons have mild or no symptoms, though others can experience aches, pains, nausea, rashes, and vomiting. High fever may also be indicative of dengue. WHO says symptoms usually start about 4-10 days after infection, while the CDC points to a broader timeframe: within two weeks of being bitten by a mosquito. 

Symptoms usually clear in about a week, the CDC says. 

Dengue is only fatal in severe cases, which can bring symptoms like severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding gums or nose, fatigue, bloody stools, pale and cold skin, and more.  

How to prevent dengue infection 

In the U.S., the majority of the cases occurred in travelers who went to areas with risk of dengue. But because the mosquitoes that spread the disease live across the country, “local spread of dengue is possible,” the CDC says.  

Because dengue is transmitted through pesky, flying insects, the best way to prevent catching the disease is to avoid mosquito bites. That can be done by wearing insect repellent, or opting to wear loose, long-sleeved clothes. 

Dengue outbreaks happen every two to five years. People should be especially cautious about catching the virus if they are planning to travel to Latin America, which has seen a record-breaking number of cases thus far, per the CDC.

Is there a way to treat dengue? 

Most doctors treat symptoms of dengue through prescribing acetaminophen, or asking patients to stay hydrated. But there is no special medication to bypass the disease.

There is a dengue vaccine for children aged 9 to sixteen if they have confirmation of a previous infection, or live in an area where dengue is common. Vaccines are recommended for U.S. territories, per the CDC.

Under the new advisory, doctors are advised to be aware of the increased possibility of dengue among patients, and to consider issuing dengue tests if necessary. 

Is dengue fever common in the U.S.?

The CDC lists freely associated states and six U.S. territories as areas with “frequent or continuous dengue transmission,” including Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

There have been 197 cases reported in Florida, followed by 134 in New York, and 50 in Massachusetts. Infections in these states have been small or sporadic, per the CDC’s alert. Virus transmission has also been reported in Arizona and California in the last two years.

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Americans celebrating the Fourth of July next week with loved ones and fireworks should be careful, officials warned, noting an uptick in injuries from fireworks over the past 15 years.

A report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released Friday revealed that the commission received reports of eight deaths and about 9,700 injuries involving fireworks for 2023. Of the eight deaths, five were linked to firework misuse and two were associated with a device malfunction (the last involved unknown circumstances). 

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The report found that injuries caused by fireworks have increased overall between 2008 and 2023, even though recent data indicates a decline since the peak in 2020, when public displays were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“While it is a great American tradition to enjoy fireworks around the 4th of July, it is important to remember that all fireworks, even sparklers, pose dangers to consumers. The safest way to view fireworks is to watch professional displays,” CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric said in a press release. “If you choose to light your own, make sure you only buy legal fireworks intended for consumer use from a reputable retailer.”

Read More: How to Stay Safe From Wildfire Smoke

CPSC analyzed injury data in the four weeks surrounding the Fourth of July in 2023, and found that about 800 emergency department-treated injuries were associated with firecrackers, and about 700 with sparklers. The body parts most often injured by fireworks were hands and fingers—those made up about 35% of injuries. The head, face, and ears were also often injured, making up about 22% of injuries. About 42% of the emergency department-treated injuries related to fireworks were for burns.

Teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 had the highest estimated rate of emergency department-treated injuries related to fireworks, CPSC found. Children between the ages of five and nine had the second highest rate.

CPSC encouraged the public to follow safety tips for fireworks, including not allowing children to play with or ignite fireworks; making sure fireworks are legal in the area and only buying ones that are for consumer use; never using fireworks while impaired by alcohol or drugs; and keeping a bucket of water or a garden hose nearby in case of an accident. 

Other safety tips include lighting fireworks one at a time before backing away quickly, never placing a body part directly over a firework when lighting it, never pointing or throwing fireworks at anyone, and dousing the used firework device with water or hose before discarding it to prevent a fire. People should also never try to relight or handle malfunctioning fireworks, CPSC warned. Instead, soak them with water and throw them away.

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