Officials have warned that dengue cases are at an all-time high and the disease is spread through the bite of infected mosquitoes.
A total of 142 cases have been reported in New York State, with 12 in Suffolk County and four in Nassau County.
Dr. Sharon Nachman, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook University School of Medicine, told News 12, “All of the cases in New York state have been caused by travelers, so if you’re planning on traveling this summer, be careful where you go. Dengue-carrying mosquitoes feed at dusk and dawn, so if you’re outdoors, consider mosquito protection.”
“The good news is that our mosquitoes don’t actually transmit dengue. New York mosquitoes don’t carry the dengue parasite,” Nachman added.
But there are dengue-carrying mosquitoes outside of New York, Nachman said.
“If you get bitten by a mosquito in Florida, of course you’re concerned about dengue fever, so it’s all about where you’re traveling and what that mosquito is carrying,” Nachman said.
The most common symptoms are fever, nausea and a rash, but some people can develop severe dengue fever, which can lead to shock, internal bleeding and, in rare cases, death.
There is no specific medicine to treat this, and most people recover within a week.
Dr. Nachman has this advice for people traveling this summer:
“I’m not saying cancel your trip or not to take your kids, but I am saying think about where you’re going. Are you using DEET on your skin and on your kids’ clothes? Are you outside at dusk or dawn? How can you prevent infection? You may not be able to prevent 100% of mosquitoes, but if you’re smart about where you are and what you’re doing, you can prevent most of them.”
The Suffolk County Health Department released a statement saying, “Dengue fever is a disease caused by the dengue virus and is transmitted by the bite of infected Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. Dengue fever is dangerous in parts of Central and South America, Mexico and the Caribbean. Travelers can protect themselves from mosquito bites by wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, staying in areas that have air conditioning and screens on windows and doors, and considering using insect repellent. Suffolk County has issued a travel warning on social media. All reported cases of dengue fever in Suffolk County in 2024 were acquired while traveling. Residents are urged to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites to avoid dengue fever.”
