CDC on Dengue

Outbreak Notice Update: Dengue, Tropical and Subtropical Regions - Updated: November 10, 2008

Dengue fever is the most common cause of fever in travelers returning from the Caribbean, Central America, and south central Asia. This disease is caused by a virus spread through the bites of infected mosquitoes. Many countries reported high numbers of dengue infections during 2007. This trend has continued in 2008, with large outbreaks reported in Brazil in March and April and an increase in cases reported in the Caribbean in October.

    * March 28, 2008: The Brazilian Ministry of Health reported a national total of 120,570 cases of dengue fever, including 647 cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever and 48 deaths.2
    * April 10, 2008: Health officials in Rio de Janeiro reported that 75,399 cases of dengue fever, including 80 deaths, have occurred over the past year.
    * November 5, 2008: Health officials in the Netherlands Antilles reported an increase in dengue cases on the islands of Saint Martin, Saba, and Curaçao in late 2008. More than 500 cases of dengue fever have been confirmed on Saint Martin and nine cases of dengue fever have been recorded in Saba. Saba officials say this is the largest number of dengue cases reported on the island in the past 30 years.

No vaccine is available to prevent dengue, and there is no specific medicine to cure dengue. Those who become ill with dengue fever can be given medicine to reduce fever, such as acetaminophen, and may need oral rehydration or intravenous fluids and, in severe cases, treatment to support their blood pressure.

Symptoms of dengue include

    * fever
    * severe headache
    * pain behind the eye
    * joint and muscle pain,
    * rash.

Sorta like I feel the week before exams...Watch the skeeters! And BTW, Florida has just been lucky...It's in the zone.