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in Dengue follow-up In Florida this year, state health officials reported three additional cases of locally acquired dengue fever in Miami-Dade County.
This brings the total original Florida dengue cases in 2022 to 41 in four counties – Collier and Broward (2), Miami-Dade (37) and Volusia.
Thirty-seven of the cases were serotyped by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The reported serotypes were DENV-3 (36) and DENV-2.
In addition, six hundred and seventy-nine cases were reported in 2022 in individuals with a history of travel to a dengue-endemic area in the two weeks prior to onset. The counties reporting cases were: Brevard (2), Broward (42), Collier (8), Duvall (7), Escambia (2), Flagler, Hendry (2), Hernando (2), Hillsboro (65), Indian River, Lee (24), Leon, Manatee (2), Martin (2), Miami-Dade (455), Monroe (3), Orange (6), Osceola (2), Palm Beach (20), Pasco (2) ), Pinellas (7), Polk (8), Santa Rosa, Sarasota (4), St. John’s, St. Lucie (6), Swaney, and Volusia (2).
Seven cases have been reported in non-Florida residents. Seven cases met the criteria for severe dengue (dengue shock syndrome [DSS] or dengue hemorrhagic fever [DHF]).
Arizona
The Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) has identified an individual with dengue who may have been exposed by an infected mosquito in Maricopa County.
Routine mosquito surveillance conducted by the Maricopa County Environmental Services Department (MCESD) detected dengue virus in a mosquito trap in a county neighborhood.
To find out if other people in that neighborhood have been infected, public health teams will visit residents of the neighborhood to offer a free at-home blood test. These teams will also include environmental service representatives who provide information to prevent bites and mosquito breeding around their homes. This is in addition to the mosquito testing that MCESD conducts in county-wide traps to look for any other infected mosquitoes.
“Although previous cases of dengue in Maricopa County were related to travel to countries where dengue occurs most commonly, it is important to understand if others could have been exposed or if this was an isolated incident.” said Dr. Nick Stapp, a medical epidemiologist. “This is in addition to our routine investigations of anyone suspected of having dengue or other mosquito-borne diseases.”
Field teams of Maricopa County staff and volunteers will go to the neighborhood to offer residents five years of age and older a dengue fever test along with mosquito prevention kits to avoid mosquito bites in the future. The test will identify evidence of infection in the past several months, even if the person has no symptoms.
“This simple test can provide valuable information for our residents, and at the neighborhood level, for public health,” Dr. Stubb added. “When we look at the results of this test and testing for mosquitoes across the county, we can determine if there is any risk to others and what Public Health, Environmental Services and other partners can do to prevent the disease.”
Homes in the selected neighborhood will receive a postcard on their door informing them of the upcoming visit, including dates and how to obtain more information. The field teams will then go door-to-door over the next week delivering voluntary at-home testing kits and prevention tools and providing information on how to share test results with those tested or their legal guardians.
