Aug. 13--The tropical virus dengue fever has spread to Broward County mosquitoes, health officials said Thursday, after tests confirmed the first known case of the disease being contracted here.
An adult who had not left Broward for weeks came down with the mosquito-borne disease this month, meaning Broward is now the second place in the continental United States -- following Key West -- where dengue fever exists.
Officials at the Broward County Health Department would not identify the person or disclose where the person lives, but said the county will step up mosquito spraying and hammer harder on its message to prevent bug bites -- especially since Florida has logged a few cases of other mosquito diseases such as West Nile virus.
"The person has recovered fully," said Dr. Paul Thaqi, health department director. "This is an important opportunity for us to emphasize to folks to prevent mosquito-borne disease."
Dengue causes mild to severe flu-like symptoms marked by pain in the bones and behind the eyes, plus fever and vomiting. In severe or repeat cases, it can be fatal. The virus spreads only from the bite of an infected mosquito, not by human to human contact. There's no vaccine or drug to treat it. Many people who get infected never get sick at all.
In Key West, at least 53 cases have been reported since the outbreak began in September, including a Wilton Manors woman infected while visiting the island.
But the new Broward case is the first time a person was infected by mosquitoes living here.
Carina Blackmore, a mosquito disease specialist at the state Department of Health, said she's certain the local mosquito got the virus by biting someone in Broward who had contracted dengue fever while traveling in the Caribbean, South America or a country where the disease is prevalent.
Blackmore said she is certain because the person here caught the type-3 strain of dengue. The strain circulating in Key West is called type-1, so the new case could not be related to Key West.
"I'm not surprised this has shown up there," Blackmore said. "South Florida has a lot of travelers to Central America and the Caribbean. Plenty of people bring back dengue fever to Florida every year. It just doesn't happen very often, so it goes undetected. Because of our increased surveillance now from the Key West cases, we're now picking it up."
So far this year, 57 Floridians contracted dengue while traveling outside the country, state figures show.
The culprit is typically the Aedes aegypti, a small black mosquito with white marks on the legs and belly.
The bug lives in close proximity to humans, often in yards or in the house. Aedes breeds in clean, standing water, including puddles as tiny as bottle caps that collect in recycling bins, pet dishes and plant pots.
Thaqi, the health director, stressed the oft-recited steps to prevent mosquito bites: Eliminate standing water; stay indoors at dusk and dawn; wear long sleeves and pants when outdoors; wear repellent with DEET; and repair window screens.
But some of the steps won't help much against Aedes, Blackmore said. The bug bites during the day, when people are outside and when it's uncomfortable to wear full clothing.
Bob LaMendola can be reached at blamendola@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4526.
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