Increased Risk of Dengue Virus Infections in the United States

https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2024/han00511.asp?ACSTrackingID=USCDC_511-DM131024&ACSTrackingLabel=HAN%20511%20-%20General%20Public&deliveryName=USCDC_511-DM131024&utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_5S257_ClSvr0HeuLjEGAPXV450Llr9x90CPCSD8nMMtPX8EjaAIqkRdMI89k4O9ByX8HPKTKXp1pyWRHcR9fOAp5FQg&_hsmi=313187806&utm_content=313187806&utm_source=hs_email CDC issues warning on higher risk of dengue virus in the U.S. There’s an increased risk of contracting dengue virus in the U.S. this year, the CDC announced yesterday in a health advisory. Countries in North and South America have reported twice as many cases so far this year as in all of 2023. Puerto Rico has declared a public health emergency, with almost 1,500 cases as of Tuesday’s alert. The agency recommends health care providers look out for dengue among people with a fever who have been in areas with high transmission and promote ways to prevent mosquito bites in those areas. But dengue infections likely aren’t going to be rampant across the continental U.S., STAT’s Helen Branswell told me, though people who travel to places where dengue circulates could be infected. (So far, there have been 745 cases among U.S. travelers.) Diseases like dengue that are transmitted to humans through vectors like mosquitoes have historically affected few people in the U.S. But as climate change accelerates, the range of these vectors can shift. West Nile, Lyme, and other diseases are also on the rise. So while continental U.S. dwellers probably don’t need to worry right now about dengue-carrying mosquitoes in their backyards, it’s worth thinking about climate change, infectious disease, and how prepared we are for the changes ahead. West Nile, Lyme, and other diseases are on the rise with climate change. Experts warn the U.S. is not prepared By Sara Van No https://www.statnews.com/2023/03/15/climate-change-diseases-west-nile-dengue-lyme/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-93kLfmRrnNE01l6CnQZphCaICQDmW2j2D_UASewiZxC_rasTuJQm4f6QEQXojKSFL9jkrK5-gPYt7nIFanoQqf3fgf9g&_hsmi=313187806&utm_content=313187806&utm_source=hs_email