It is almost the end of the summer and many people are considering taking a spur-of-the-moment vacation. If you are traveling to Florida or the islands, remember that there are things that you can bring back home that are not as pleasant as souvenirs and photographs.
Over the past several months there have been documented cases of infections and deaths from dengue fever, an acute mosquito-borne viral illness, in southern and central Florida, and several Caribbean islands, including the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Trinidadian health officials have announced their third fatality from the hemorrhagic form of dengue fever. Epidemiologists from the health ministry confirmed that approximately 600 people have been identified as contracting the disease so far this year.
Officials in Miami-Dade County recently reported their first case since 1934. Last week, cases were observed moving inland in the central Florida area. Currently, there are 54 confirmed cases of dengue in Florida, and according to the Florida Department of Health, most of those afflicted are in the Miami area and the Keys. Sixteen new cases have been documented in Key West this year compared to 27 last year.
The symptoms of dengue fever, also known as break-bone fever, include headache, fever, prostration, severe joint and muscle pain, swollen glands (lymphadenopathy) and rash. There is no vaccine to prevent dengue fever. Treatment protocols target relieving symptoms. Twenty-five thousand people die annually from dengue fever infections.
If you are in these areas, remember to stay away from stagnant pools of water. The illness cannot be contracted from another individual. Simple steps one can take to guard against infection include wearing clothing that covers the entire body and using mosquito repellent, indoors and outside. –torrance stephens, ph.d.
