Dodging Dengue In The US

Dengue On The Rise

We wrote recently about dengue outbreaks in the Americas, with Puerto Rico declaring an epidemic. Cases are now being reported in Florida too, and are likely to spread, so it’s good to be prepared, if your climate is of the “warm and humid” kind.

If you want to catch up on the news first, here you go:

• UN health agency cites tenfold increase in reported cases of dengue over the last generation
• Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic following a spike in dengue cases
• Dengue fever confirmed in Florida Keys as US on watch for rise in mosquito illness

Note: dengue is far from unheard of in Florida, but the rising average temperatures in each year mean that each year stands a good chance of seeing more cases than the previous. It’s been climbing since at least 2017, took a dip during the time of COVID restrictions keeping people at home more, and then for the more recent years has been climbing again since.

What actually is it?

Dengue is a viral, mosquito-borne disease, characterized by fever, vomiting, muscle pain, and a rash, in about 1 in 4 cases.

Which can sound like “you’ll know if you have it”, but in fact it’s usually asymptomatic for a week or more after infection, so, watch out!

What next, if those symptoms appear?

The good news is: the fever will usually last less than a week

The bad news is: a day or so after that the fever subsided, the more serious symptoms are likely to start—if they’re going to.

If you’re unlucky enough to be one of the 1 in 20 who get the serious symptoms, then you can expect abdominal cramps, repeat vomiting, bleeding from various orifices (you may not get them all, but all are possible), and (hardly surprising, given the previous items) “extreme fatigue and restlessness”.

If you get those symptoms, then definitely get to an ER as soon as possible, as dengue can become life-threatening within hours of such.

Read more: CDC | Symptoms of Dengue and Testing

While there is not a treatment for dengue per se, the Emergency Room will be better able to manage your symptoms and thus keep you alive long enough for them to pass.

If you’d like much more detail (on symptoms, seriousness, at-risk demographics, and prognosis) than what the CDC offers, then…

Read more: BMJ | Dengue Fever

Ok, so how do we dodge the dengue?

It sounds flippant to say “don’t get bitten”, but that’s it. However, there are tips are not getting bitten:

• Use mosquito-repellent, but it has to contain >20% DEET, so check labels
• Use mosquito nets where possible (doors, windows, etc, and the classic bed-tent net is not a bad idea either)
• Wear clothing that covers your skin, especially during the day—it can be light clothing; it doesn’t need to be a HazMat suit! But it does need to reduce the area of attack to reduce the risk of bites.
• Limit standing water around your home—anything that can hold even a small amount of standing water is a potential mosquito-breeding ground. Yes, even if it’s a crack in your driveway or a potted bromeliad.

Further reading

You might also like to check out:

Stickers and wristbands aren’t a reliable way to prevent mosquito bites. Here’s why

…and in case dengue wasn’t bad enough:

Mosquitoes can spread the flesh-eating Buruli ulcer. Here’s how you can protect yourself

Take care!