Advisory Issued After Case Of Dengue Confirmed In Broward; New Case Reported In Miami-Dade
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The Florida Department of Health confirmed a case of dengue in a Broward County on Friday and issued a health advisory for all residents.
The fourth case of dengue was also reported in Miami-Dade. The four cases in Miami-Dade do not appear to be related, authorities said.
The department did not release locations.
The infection is primarily spread through bites of infected mosquitoes.
The Health Department says "there is a heightened concern of additional residents becoming ill."
Experts say you can use a hose to get rid of stagnant water in plants that can breed mosquitos.
You should also dump any standing water you find in your yard.
The type of mosquito that can carry dengue is usually found around homes and bites at all hours of the day and night.
Dr. Jason Mansour from Broward Health explains the symptoms of dengue fever are usually mild.
"Most cases go away on their own, after a flu-like illness. You get a fever, you get the body aches, you may have the rash, you may have some nausea and it goes away on it's own. There's no specific treatment for these types of patients," says Mansour.
The concern is the rarer severe cases, usually experienced by someone who's had it before. Those can be fatal.
It can be hemorrhagic meaning that people bleed. It can be nose bleeds, gums bleeding, bleeding in the stool, vomiting, sometimes blood in the vomit.
Miami-Dade County continues to be under a mosquito-borne illness alert after a case of dengue fever of local transmission had been confirmed.
Dengue fever can present itself as a flu-like illness with muscle aches, pain, fever and sometimes a rash. The symptoms appear within 14 days of being bitten by an infected mosquito and can last for up to a week.
There are no vaccines to prevent infection. The CDC says that early recognition and treatment can "substantially lower the risk of medical complications and death."
To protect yourself from mosquitoes, remember to "Drain and Cover."
- Drain standing water to stop mosquitoes from multiplying.
- Cover your skin with clothing and use mosquito repellent.
- Cover doors and windows with screens to keep mosquitoes out.
