Many in the U.S. are unfamiliar with dengue fever. This nasty tropical disease recently turned up in Key West. Symptoms may include headaches, fever, joint and muscle pain, and bloody urine. Although this disease is not often fatal, it’s definitely unpleasant. For those with other health problems or a compromised immune system, it can be downright dangerous.

A perceptive physician in upstate New York diagnosed this disease in the fall of 2009. The patient in question had just returned from Key West. Officials in Florida, the county of Monroe, and the CDC (Center of Disease Control) were quickly notified. Several investigations in Key West turned up many more cases. All the victims survived and the outbreak died down. But in April 2010 another case turned up. To date a total of 28 cases have turned up.

Mosquitoes spread a virus that causes dengue fever .Unfortunately there is no known cure. The key is prevention by good mosquito control and personal protection. Usually patients do recover, but once in a while the disease turns into dengue shock syndrome or dengue hemorrhagic fever, which can be fatal.

100 million infections and 25,000 deaths per year are blamed on dengue fever. It’s the most common mosquito-borne disease in the entire world. No cases of dengue fever have been recorded in Florida since 1934. Other than sporadic outbreaks on the Mexican border, very few cases have been recorded in the U.S.

Infectious disease specialists have been expecting dengue fever in the southern U.S. Two mosquitoes common to the southeastern U.S. are known carriers of the virus. Dengue cases in South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean quadrupled between 1989 and 2007. A single infected traveler returning from the Caribbean, South America or Asia could trigger an outbreak.

CDC lists rapid urbanization, an increase in man-made containers that serve as mosquito breeding areas, increased international travel and lack of effective mosquito control measures as contributing factors to the increase.

No one knows exactly what caused the outbreak in Key West. But the necessary components were there. There are lots of travelers, the right kinds of mosquitoes, lots of available skin to bite, and lots of places for mosquitoes to breed. Officials suggest that mosquito control may have been a bit slack as well. The best protection is prevention. Mosquito control begins with preventing breeding, tough to do in Florida’s rainy season. Use of a good mosquito repellent is the second layer of protection.

Russ Frank is a pest control expert in Tampa. He’s been helping families and businesses in Tampa solve pest problems for over 25 years. Contact Florida Bug Inspectors when you have a mosquito control problem.

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