Texas Joins California, Florida, Others Reporting Local Dengue Cases

According to local health officials, the global dengue virus outbreak in 2024 has reached another U.S. state.

On November 25, 2024, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) reported the first locally acquired case of dengue virus in a Cameron County resident located in south Texas. As of today, there have been 106 travel-associated dengue cases, including one death reported in Texas.

Since 2013, 625 travel-related dengue cases have been reported, and 40 cases have been acquired in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, Val Verde, Webb, and Willacy counties.

This unfortunate activity may continue through 2024 as disease-carrying mosquitoes remain active in much of Texas into December.

"It is important for health care providers to consider a diagnosis of dengue virus and test for it if their patient has symptoms consistent with the disease," said DSHS Commissioner Jennifer Shuford, MD, MPH, in a press release.

While this DSHS news is unsettling, Texas ranks well behind other U.S. states and territories.

In California, the San Bernardino County Public Health Department recently reported a locally-acquired dengue case in San Bernardino. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has reported 12 locally acquired dengue cases in the San Gabriel Valley. And in San Diego, Escondido, and Visa reported local dengue cases in 2024.

As of November 23, 2024, the Florida Health Department reported over 803 travel-associated and 66 locally acquired dengue cases this year.

Throughout New York, including New York City, 301 dengue cases have been confirmed in 2024.

Furthermore, Puerto Rico's Department of Health confirmed dengue is endemic in the greater San Juan area, with 4,467 cases reported this year.

Dengue is a viral disease caused by any of the four related viruses: dengue virus 1, 2, 3, and 4, says the U.S. CDC. A person can be infected with dengue multiple times in their life.

Symptoms of dengue usually begin within 2 weeks of being bitten by an infected mosquito and typically last 2–7 days. Most people recover after about a week, but no specific medicine treats dengue.

From a prevention perspective, dengue vaccines are currently unavailable in the U.S.