California health officials announced Wednesday that they are investigating two additional locally transmitted dengue cases. Photo courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sept. 19 (UPI) — Los Angeles health officials say they are investigating several locally transmitted dengue cases in the city of Baldwin Park.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced the two cases Wednesday, more than a week after the county confirmed its first case of the year.
The two additional infected people had no history of travel to areas where the disease is endemic before they developed symptoms.
County health officials said the three locally transmitted cases were an “unprecedented number” in an area that has not previously had mosquito-borne dengue transmission.
Emanuel Estrada, mayor of Baldwin Park in the central San Gabriel Valley, said city officials are aware of the incident and are taking action.
“As part of the Vector Virus Control District, the city is working closely with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to monitor the situation and take necessary control measures,” Estrada said in a statement.
“In the meantime, we encourage all residents to use EPA-registered insect repellents, eliminate standing water around their homes, and keep window and door screens in good condition. .”
The county also confirmed its first case in Baldwin Park on September 9th. Last year, two locally acquired cases of dengue were confirmed in California, both in the fall in Long Beach and Pasadena.
Dengue fever is a virus that is spread to people through mosquitoes and is common in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Health officials say the virus can cause flu-like symptoms and, in severe cases, can cause shock, severe bleeding and severe organ damage, requiring immediate medical attention.
Federal health officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory in late June informing health care providers and public health officials of the increased risk from this year’s dengue virus.
The global incidence of this disease is rapidly increasing. This year, more cases than usual have been reported around the world, with countries in the Americas reporting a record 9.3 million dengue cases in the first half of the year, twice as many as in all of 2023. That’s all.
According to the CDC, there have been 3,277 locally transmitted dengue cases in the United States this year, with the majority detected in Puerto Rico, where public health officials declared an outbreak in March.
Aside from California, Florida is the only mainland country with confirmed cases. According to the CDC, there have been 27 cases of dengue fever in the Sunshine State this year.
For all of last year, there were 1,462 locally acquired cases, including two in California and two in California, according to CDC statistics. One is Texas. 189 in Florida; And most of it remains in Puerto Rico.
