Texas has recorded its first local case of dengue fever this year, state public health officials announced this week.
The case was reported in Cameron County, a county on the Texas-Mexico border that includes the city of Brownsville and has a population of about 425,000.
Last year, the state reported one locally transmitted case out of a total of 79 cases.
This year, there have been 106 travel-related dengue cases in the Lone Star State, the highest annual number in Texas since 2002. press release. One death has occurred so far.
This is the first case of infection in the country. This means that the infected person had no history of travel to countries where dengue fever typically occurs.
Dengue virus is transmitted by mosquito bites and is more commonly recorded in tropical or subtropical environments where mosquitoes live.
It cannot be transmitted from person to person.
Only about 25% of infected people show symptoms, which include fever, pain, nausea, vomiting, and rash. It usually takes two weeks for an infected person to show any symptoms, and symptoms can last from two to seven days.
Cases began to appear in Florida after Hurricane Milton. Dengue outbreaks have also been declared in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
According to reports, more than 50 locally transmitted cases have been reported in Florida and 15 in California so far this year. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There are currently at least 4,962 active cases nationwide, with the majority reported in Puerto Rico, according to the CDC.
The number of dengue cases worldwide is at an all-time high this year, likely due to rising global temperatures, according to the CDC. First published by the agency June health alert It warns that the risk of infection will increase in the coming months.
Meanwhile, the number of people infected in the United States is now nearly three times the number recorded by this time last year.
Mosquito season in Texas is expected to last from November into December, according to Lone Star State health officials. of CDC advises To avoid mosquito bites, use insect repellent and wear clothing that covers as much skin as possible.
