Mosquito-borne Illness Alert Issued in Broward County Florida

The Broward County Department of Health in Florida recently joined its southern neighbor, Miami-Dade, in issuing a Mosquito-borne Illness Alert.

The bite of an infected mosquito spreads dengue and is not usually present in the greater Ft. Lauderdale area. However, infected travelers have brought the virus back to Florida, primarily in the Miami-Dade Country area.

In 2023, there have been two locally acquired dengue cases in Broward County. Last year, there were two other locally acquired dengue cases.

In total, Florida's Department of Health has reported 215 dengue cases in 2023.

Globally, Dengue outbreaks have been confirmed by numerous countries this year, such as Costa Rica.

Dengue is a vaccine-preventable disease, with two vaccines approved in various countries.