Dengue fever cases rise globally, new cases found in Florida

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE CDC AND THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION HAVE BEEN WARNING OF A GLOBAL RISE IN DENGUE FEVER. 

NOW FLORIDA OFFICIALS SAY AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE FELL ILL  WITH THE VIRUS IN THE FLORIDA KEYS THIS WEEKEND, AS CASES HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN MULTIPLE COUNTIES IN THE SUNSHINE STATE. .

 DENGUE FEVER – ALSO KNOWN AS BREAK-BONE FEVER – IS AN ILLNESS THAT SPREADS FROM MOSQUITOES TO PEOPLE AND IS MORE COMMONLY FOUND IN TROPICAL CLIMATES. 

MOST PEOPLE WHO CONTRACT THE ILLNESS DON’T EXPERIENCE SYMPTOMS – HOWEVER, FOR THOSE THAT DO – THEIR SYMPTOMS ARE USUALLY SIMILAR THE FLU WITH A HIGH FEVER, HEADACHE, BODY ACHES, NAUSEA, AND RASH.

THE WHO STATES THERE’S NO SPECIFIC TREATMENT FOR THOSE WHO ARE INFECTED AND MOST PEOPLE RECOVER IN 1-2 WEEKS.

SOME PEOPLE CAN DEVELOP SEVERE DENGUE AND NEED HOSPITALIZATION – AND YES, SOMETIMES IT CAN BE FATAL. 

IN THE MORE SEVERE CASES, PATIENTS CAN DEVELOP SEVERE ABDOMINAL PAIN, PERSISTENT VOMITING, RAPID BREATHING, BLEEDING GUMS OR NOSE, AND FATIGUE – AMONG OTHERS.

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT DENGUE IS NOT CONTAGIOUS – IT CAN ONLY BE TRANSMITTED BY MOSQUITOES.

FOR THE TWO CASES IN THE FLORIDA KEYS – HEALTH OFFICIALS SAID THE TWO AFFECTED PEOPLE WERE INFECTED ONCE THEY GOT TO THE KEYS AND THAT THEIR CASES ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH TRAVEL.

THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO STAY SAFE AND REMOVE STANDING WATER ON THEIR PROPERTIES – WHICH ARE BREEDING GROUNDS FOR MOSQUITOS – AND TO WEAR INSECT REPELLENT CONTAINING “DEET.”

THIS NEWS COMES LESS THAN A WEEK AFTER THE CDC ISSUED AN ALERT – NOTIFYING DOCTORS AND THE PUBLIC THAT DENGUE FEVER CASES ARE ON THE RISE ACROSS THE WORLD – INCLUDING THE AMERICAS. ACCORDING TO THE AGENCY – FROM JANUARY 1ST TO JUNE 24TH – COUNTRIES IN THE AMERICAS REPORTED NEARLY 10 MILLION (9.7 M) CASES – EXCEEDING THE HIGHEST NUMBER EVER RECORDED IN A SINGLE YEAR.

FOR SAN, I’M LAUREN TAYLOR…

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