CDC. Dengue doctors warn as virus spreads to new areas

The horrific mosquito-borne disease is spreading across much of the world. Federal health officials have urged doctors to monitor new cases in the United States.

Federal health officials have warned of the risk of contracting dengue in the United States had increased this year, a worrying sign as global cases of the mosquito-borne illness reached record numbers.

During the first half of This year, countries in the Americas reported twice as many cases as reported. throughout 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday in an alert to health care providers.

The region recorded nearly 10 million cases of the virus so far. in 2024, most of which came from outbreaks in South American countries like Brazil and Argentina.

Although local transmission of the virus in the continental United States has been restricted, Puerto Rico, which is classified as having a "frequent or continuing" dengue risk, declared a public health emergency in March and reported nearly 1,500 cases.

Cases of dengue, a Viral diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, which can be fatal, are increasing all over the world. This increase is occurring both in places that have long struggled with the disease and in areas where its spread was unknown until a year or two ago, including France, Italy and Chad, in central Africa. .

There have even been a few hundred cases of local transmission in the United States. Florida health officials urged the public to take precautions, such as wearing insect repellent and throwing away standing water, after reporting a locally acquired case of dengue fever this month.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode, please exit and log in to your Times account, or subscribe to the entire Times.