Current:Home > MyLos Angeles area sees more dengue fever in people bitten by local mosquitoes -VisionFunds
Los Angeles area sees more dengue fever in people bitten by local mosquitoes
View
Date:2025-04-18 08:58:39
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Health officials warned Wednesday that the Los Angeles area is seeing more dengue fever cases in people who have not traveled outside the U.S. mainland, a year after the first such case was reported in California.
Public health officials said at least three people apparently became ill with dengue this month after being bitten by mosquitoes in the Baldwin Park neighborhood east of downtown Los Angeles.
“This is an unprecedented cluster of locally acquired dengue for a region where dengue has not previously been transmitted by mosquitoes,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
Other cases that stemmed from mosquito bites originating in the U.S. have been reported this year in Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, where officials have declared a dengue epidemic. There have been 3,085 such cases in the U.S. this year, of which 96% were in Puerto Rico, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cases of dengue have been surging globally as climate change brings warmer weather that enables mosquitoes to expand their reach.
Dengue fever is commonly spread through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes in tropical areas. While Aedes mosquitoes are common in Los Angeles County, local infections weren’t confirmed until last year, when cases were reported in Pasadena and Long Beach.
Before then, the cases in California were all associated with people traveling to a region where dengue is commonly spread, such as Latin America, said Aiman Halai, director of the department’s Vector-Borne Disease Unit.
So far this year, 82 such cases have been reported in L.A. County by people returning from traveling, Halai said. Across California, there have been 148 cases.
Dengue can cause high fevers, rashes, headaches, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, and bone and joint pain. About one in four people infected will get symptoms, which usually appear within five to seven days of a bite from a dengue-carrying mosquito. One in 20 people with symptoms will develop severe dengue, which can lead to severe bleeding and can be life-threatening.
Public health officials will be conducting outreach to homes within 150 meters (492 feet) of the homes of people who have been bitten. That’s the typical flight range of the mosquitoes that transmit the virus, according to Ferrer.
Ferrer recommended that people use insect repellent and eliminate standing water around their houses where mosquitoes can breed.
Officials have been testing mosquitoes for the disease and so far have not found any in the San Gabriel Valley with dengue.
veryGood! (27773)
Related
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei’s Father Shares Heartbreaking Plea After Her Death From Gasoline Attack
- Nevada’s only Native American youth shelter gets lifeline as it fights for survival
- Sicily Yacht Victims Died of Dry Drowning After Running Out of Oxygen in the Cabin
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Here’s What Leah Remini and Angelo Pagán Are Seeking in Their Divorce
- 'Rust' armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed could plead guilty to separate gun charge: Reports
- The former Uvalde schools police chief asks a judge to throw out the charges against him
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- Parents sue Boy Scouts of America for $10M after jet ski accident kills 10-year-old boy
Ranking
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- What to watch: Say his name!
- Jax Taylor Breaks Silence on Brittany Cartwright Divorce With Unexpected Message
- LL Flooring, formerly Lumber Liquidators, is going out of business and closing all of its stores
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- How do Harris and Trump propose to make housing affordable?
- A man was charged with killing 81 animals in a three-hour shooting rampage
- Residents are ready to appeal after a Georgia railroad company got approval to forcibly buy land
Recommendation
Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
North Carolina court orders RFK Jr.'s name to be removed just before ballots are sent
The Daily Money: Some shoppers still feel the pinch
'A great day for Red Lobster': Company exiting bankruptcy, will operate 544 locations
The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
Donald Trump might make the Oscar cut – but with Sebastian Stan playing him
Demi Lovato’s Sister Madison De La Garza Is Pregnant, Expecting First Baby With Ryan Mitchell
NFL Kickoff record 28.9 million viewers watch Kansas City hold off Baltimore