United States: US health authorities has this week advised doctors across the country about possible symptoms of dengue fever – a virus transmitted by mosquitoes and increasing globally.
In the United States for example cases are noted to be three times higher than what was recorded this time last year.
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The majority of illnesses in the US are experienced by individuals who have traveled within the year to regions of the world where an outbreak of dengue is being reported.
Only Florida has documented cases of evidence of local transmission, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, which are US territories, are also experiencing local transmission of the disease, the Hill reported.
Cases of Dengue fever in the UD
CDC tracking shows that Florida has 191 cases, New York has 134, and Massachusetts has 50 cases. The official number of cases has surpassed 2,241 across the country.
During a health advisory on Tuesday, the CDC urged doctors to recognize the signs of dengue fever, inquire about the patient’s recent travel history, and use the appropriate tests in case of the disease.
The virus is suggestive in tropical warm countries for the fact that warm weather mosquitoes that transmit the disease are rife. It states these mosquitoes are increasing their geographical distribution due to climate change, according to the researchers, the Hill reported.
Cases of Dengue globally
More than 6.6 million infections were recorded worldwide the previous year. Thus, in the first four months of this year, 7.9 million cases and 4,000 deaths related to the H1N1 flu. It has been quite acute in the Americas, particularly in countries such as Brazil and Peru.
The CDC also states that only about 25 percent of dengue fevers are accompanied by symptoms. If ever manifested, symptoms usually appear on the fifth to seventh day of the infection, as the Hill reported.
Usually, people develop temperature and other flu-like complaints like nausea, vomiting, aching body, rashes and, joint and bone pains, and headaches.
In severe cases, manifestation can lead to severe bleeding, shock, and death. To date, there is no routine medicine that can cure dengue virus infection.