1,000 Key West Citizens Possibly Exposed To Dengue

[Guest guest]

http://cbs4.com/health/dengue.fever.keys.2.1808433.html

Jul 16, 2010 11:05 am US/Eastern

1,000 Key West Citizens Possibly Exposed To Dengue

First Suspected Case In Miami-Dade Reported Thursday

MIAMI (CBS4) ¯ CBS

The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta is now saying that 5percent, or

roughly 1,000, people in Key West have shown evidence of recent exposure to the

dengue fever virus in 2009. Initially, three cases were reported in 2009 and

that prompted a study by the CDC to determine the potential exposure of the Key

West population to dengue fever.

Thursday, a suspected case of dengue fever was reported on Miami Beach. The man

who possibly had the disease, Enrique Vargas, has since been released from the

hospital and is expected to be fine, officials said. Authorities are waiting on

confirmation from blood samples sent to the state lab.

" I had a headache, a terrible headache, with the pressure in my brain, " Vargas

told CBS4's Gio Benitez in an exclusive interview. " At the hospital, the doctor

said the diagnosis is unknown, maybe a mosquito. "

He says he would fall uncontrollably. He also was vomiting and had severe

diarrhea.

The only way to acquire dengue fever is through a mosquito bite. It's not an

airborne virus and can't be contracted person-to-person. Worldwide, dengue fever

infects between 50 and 100 million people each year and causes 25,000 deaths.

However, from 1946 to 1980, no cases of dengue were reported in the continental

United States and there hasn't been an outbreak in Florida since 1934.

" We're concerned that if dengue gains a foothold in Key West, it will travel to

other southern cities where the mosquito that transmits dengue is present, like

Miami, " said Harold Margolis, chief of the dengue branch at CDC.

Since 1980, a few locally acquired U.S. cases have been confirmed along the

Texas-Mexico border, which coincided with large outbreaks in neighboring Mexican

cities. In recent years, there has been an increase in epidemic dengue in the

tropics and subtropics, including Puerto Rico.

Dengue fever is a flu-like illness spread by the bite of an infected Aedes

Aegypti mosquito a common urban mosquito in the U.S. and Caribbean. It is also

known as " breakbone fever " because of the intense joint pain suffered in extreme

cases.

Symptoms include a high fever and at least two of the following: severe

headache; severe eye pain; joint, muscle or bone pain; rash; mild bleeding in

the nose or gums or easy bruising; and low white blood cell count. There is no

specific medication for dengue.

Miami Dade County Health Officials say you should follow the five D's to protect

yourself:

1 and 2. Avoid being outdoors at Dusk and Dawn when mosquitos are most active.

3. Dress in long sleeve clothing.

4. Use Insect repellent containing DEET

5. Drain any standing pools of water.

[Guest guest]

My but that's spreading fast and isn't going to go away because it is carried by mosquitos. I wonder when the undocumented alien came from that brought it here and if they are still there or moved to another part of the country?

In a message dated 7/16/2010 2:55:02 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, no_reply writes:

1,000 Key West Citizens Possibly Exposed To Dengue

[Guest guest]

The mosquitos have been traveling around the world. They could have arrived any

which way, but they will spread like those mosquitos that are carrying the West

Nile virus.

Administrator

My but that's spreading fast and isn't going to go away because it is carried by

mosquitos. I wonder when the undocumented alien came from that brought it here

and if they are still there or moved to another part of the country?

[Guest guest]

The West Nile Virus was spread by the birds themselves. Migratory birds in once place caught it and then spread it to other birds only their migratory route. The means of transmission was the mosquito, but the mosquito only contracted the virus when infected birds entered its territory. Once infected, it could spread the virus to other birds and animals that it bit.

Now, I'm not saying that mosquitos aren't coming into the country on ships and planes, but it is more likely that infected humans brought it in and were bitten by local mosquitos.

In a message dated 7/17/2010 12:18:12 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, no_reply writes:

The mosquitos have been traveling around the world. They could have arrived any which way, but they will spread like those mosquitos that are carrying the West Nile virus.Administrator