The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provisionally confirmed a major U.S. outbreak of dengue fever on Wednesday.
At present, there are 225 cases of dengue fever in the U.S., and 315 in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, according to the CDC. Florida is bearing the brunt of the outbreak, with 96 travel-associated cases and two local transmissions.
New York has also been hit with 23 cases, and one person has been infected locally in Texas. A majority of the cases in Florida were contracted during trips to Cuba, according to VaxBeforeTravel.
Outbreaks of dengue have erupted around the world, with more than 100,000 people infected and 200 dead in Peru. The country is currently going through a “mega fumigation campaign” to rid the population of mosquitos that carry the disease.
The disease is spread via mosquito bites, and symptoms include severe pain in the patient’s eyes, head, muscles, joints, as well as a high fever, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue.
Severe dengue fever can cause internal bleeding and organ damage. Blood pressure can drop to dangerous levels, causing shock. In some cases, severe dengue fever can lead to death.
Women who get dengue fever during pregnancy may be able to spread the virus to the baby during childbirth.
