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The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) recently announced it is investigating the first case of locally acquired dengue fever in a resident of the San Gabriel Valley.
The infected person reported no history of travel to areas where the mosquito-transmitted dengue virus is endemic, such as Mexico or Central America.
As of October 15, 2025, the LACDPH stated 'while the potential risk for widespread dengue virus transmission in Los Angeles County remains low, this case highlights the presence of infected mosquitoes locally and underscores the importance of preventive measures to control the spread of this virus.'
LA's first confirmed case of locally acquired dengue was reported in September 2024.
During the 2024 mosquito season in LA County, between July and November, a total of 14 cases were confirmed, which is extremely rare for a region where mosquitoes had not previously transmitted the virus.
"Dengue is preventable, and community action is our strongest defense. Preventing mosquito bites and mosquito breeding is the best way to stop local transmission of dengue," said Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County Health Officer, in a press release.
"People should follow these simple steps to reduce their exposure to mosquitoes and risk for mosquito bites: 1) Use insect repellent on you and your family; 2) Remove items that hold standing water around your home where mosquitoes can lay eggs and breed; and 3) Use, install, or repair window and door screens to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home," stated Dr. Davis.
The County stated San Gabriel Valley residents who have symptoms of dengue should see their healthcare provider, as a blood test is the only way to confirm dengue infection.
The San Gabriel Valley is located just east of the City of LA.
Similar to Florida, where local cases of dengue have been confirmed along the southeast coast in 2025, LACDPH urges healthcare providers to consider dengue in patients with acute febrile illness and test for and report suspect cases of mosquito-borne diseases.
As of October 19, 2025, dengue vaccines are only available in Puerto Rico and various countries outside the United States.
While Dengue fever infections can present as a flu-like illness, the medical community in Florida's central-east coast has been confirming cases throughout 2025. Dengue is not contagious but is transmitted by the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito.
Known as the home of Space City, Florida, Brevard County (DOH-Brevard) reported its 33rd locally-acquired Dengue case this week.
This county includes cities such as Melbourne, Cocoa, and Cape Canaveral.
State-wide, positive samples from 49 humans and four mosquito pools have been reported from four Florida counties as of October 11, 2025.
Additionally, as of week #41, two hundred sixty-nine cases with onset in 2025 have been reported by the Florida Department of Health in individuals with travel history to a dengue-endemic area, such as Cuba (160).
Over the past decade, Dengue vaccines have become available in various countries. As of October 15, 2025, these vaccines are unavailable in the USA.
The Florida Department of Health (DOH) recently reported additional mosquito-transmitted Dengue Fever cases, one each in Miami-Dade and Brevard counties along the east coast.
In 2025, 47 cases of locally acquired Dengue have been reported in Brevard (31), Hillsborough, Miami-Dade (14), and Pasco counties.
In 2024, 91 locally acquired Dengue cases were reported from ten Florida counties (Miami-Dade (50). Most dengue cases are serotyped as DENV-3 and DENV-4.
Additionally, fifteen cases of Dengue were reported this week in persons who had traveled internationally. In 2025, 254 travel-associated dengue cases were reported, led by 167 people with Cuba-related visits.
To notify residents and visitors of this health risk, the DOH has announced that Alachua, Bay, Clay, Duval, Hillsborough, Lafayette, Leon, Palm Beach, Pasco, and Pinellas counties are currently under a mosquito-borne illness advisory.
And Brevard, Escambia, and Miami-Dade counties are presently under a mosquito-borne illness alert.
As of October 11, 2025, Dengue vaccines are unavailable in Florida, but are being tested on children in Puerto Rico.
The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (TCDC) recently announced new cases of mosquito-transmitted Dengue fever this year.
As of the end of September 2025, there have been 17 confirmed local cases of Dengue, with residents in Kaohsiung City (12 cases), Taoyuan City (4 cases), and Yilan County (1 case).
The TCDC reminds that although autumn has arrived, temperatures remain relatively high, making them suitable for the growth of mosquitoes that carry the disease. The public is advised to implement a "patrol, empty, sweep, and brush" approach to eliminate breeding sources to reduce mosquito density.
Additionally, the total number of imported cases this year is 181, the second-highest number in the same period over the past six years.
Most of the cases originated from Southeast Asian countries (92%), with Indonesia leading the way (56 cases), followed by Vietnam (42 cases), the Philippines (24 cases), and Thailand (20 cases).
Dengue cases have recently increased in neighboring Asian countries such as Bangladesh and China, with case numbers in Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Cambodia also exceeding the same period in 2024.
Taiwan medical institutions are also urged to heighten their vigilance and inquire more closely about patients' travel, occupational, contact, and social history.
They are also encouraged by the TCDC to use the dengue fever NS1 rapid screening test to assist in diagnosis and report cases early, enabling health authorities to implement preventive measures.
As of October 2025, fewer travel-related Dengue cases had been reported in the United States. However, the State of Florida continues to report both travel-related and locally acquired cases in 2025.
While Dengue is a vaccine-preventable disease, the current second-generation vaccine is unavailable in the United States.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today issued a Level 2 Travel Health Advisory regarding the ongoing outbreak of Chikungunya Fever in Cuba.
Local media reported on September 26, 2025, that Andrés Lamas Acevedo, provincial director of Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Microbiology, stated the most affected territories are Matanzas, Cárdenas, Colón, Jovellanos, Jagüey Grande, and Pedro Betancourt.
Previously, in late August, the U.S. Embassy in Havana reported an increase in the number of arbovirus cases, including Chikungunya.
Chikungunya is caused by a virus that is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes. The CDC recommends vaccination for travelers before visiting an area with a Chikungunya outbreak.
For example, visitors from Cuba have been diagnosed in Florida with Chikungunya this year.
Additionally, the CDC advises that if you are pregnant, you should reconsider travel to the affected areas, particularly if you are close to delivering your baby. Mothers infected around the time of delivery can pass the virus to their baby before or during delivery.
Newborns infected in this way or by a mosquito bite are at risk for severe illness, including poor long-term outcomes.
In the United States, approved Chikungunya vaccines are commercailly available at travel clinics and pharmacies.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions, Travel Health Advisory regarding the ongoing spread of the Oropouche virus in the Region of the Americas.
As of September 18, 2025, the CDC is reporting cases of Oropouche in Brazil, Cuba, Panama, and Peru.
For example, the Panama Ministry of Health reported that 10 human cases of locally acquired Oropouche virus disease had been detected in various districts of the Veraguas region, including Santiago, La Pena, Atalaya, and Rodrigo Luque.
Between January and the end of July 2025, about 501 cases, including one death, were reported in Panama by the Pan American Health Organization.
In the United States, states such as Florida reported 103 cases of Oropouche fever in 2024 in people who traveled to Cuba. The Florida counties reporting cases were led by Miami-Dade (61).
The CDC states that travelers to affected areas should take steps to prevent bug bites, infected midges, and mosquitoes.
This virus can also be transmitted from a pregnant woman to her fetus. Recent scientific reports have found evidence of Oropouche virus and viral RNA in patients' bodily fluids, including semen and vaginal fluids.
Currently, there are no Oropouche vaccines available for disease prevention in 2025.
The Florida Department of Health (FDH) updated its Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Arbovirus Surveillance update #37, which revealed that both travel-related and locally acquired mosquito-transmitted diseases continue to be reported this year.
On September 13, 2025, FDH highlighted cases of Chikungunya, Dengue, and Malaria.
Chikungunya - eleven travel-related cases of chikungunya have been confirmed this year in Broward (4), Collier, Lake, Miami-Dade (2), Palm Beach, and Seminole (2). Countries of origin were: Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil (2), Cuba (2), India (2), Indonesia, and Sri Lanka (2).
Dengue Fever - In 2025, 198 cases of dengue fever were reported among individuals who had traveled internationally, with over 119 cases related to travelers from Cuba, and 13 from Puerto Rico. Additionally, 24 locally acquired dengue cases were reported in Hillsborough, Miami-Dade (3), Pasco (1), and Brevard (27) counties in 2025.
Malaria - 37 travel-related malaria cases have been confirmed in Florida, 13 related to travel to Nigeria.
As of September 2025, from a local disease risk perspective, Alachua, Bay, Clay, Duval, Hillsborough, Lafayette, Leon, Pasco, and Pinellas counties are under a mosquito-borne illness advisory.
Brevard, Escambia, and Miami-Dade Counties remain under a mosquito-borne illness alert scheduled to expire in December 2025.
Currently, the U.S. CDC and the UK have not issued travel advisories focused on visiting Florida in 2025.
