The Florida Department of Health said Thursday it was looking into whether dengue fever was responsible for the reported death of a Hillsborough County woman, as locally acquired cases of the mosquito-borne illness surged to 111 statewide, with 95 in the Tampa area since July.
"The department is actively investigating the recently reported death of a Hillsborough County resident, possibly associated with a dengue virus infection," Hillsborough health department spokeswoman Claire Maher said.
Citing privacy issues, Maher said, “The department is unable to provide additional details and information about specific cases."
The Tampa Bay Times, citing family members, reported that an 80-year-old South Tampa woman who died last Friday may have been infected by a mosquito carrying locally acquired dengue.
Last week, the state Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo said Hillsborough was the “epicenter” of an "unusual increase" in locally acquired dengue cases this summer.
Dengue rarely results in death in the U.S., where it typically is found in travelers infected while visiting areas of the world with higher risk, such as South American and Caribbean countries.
"Every year we do get importation of dengue virus, but it's usually imported from a traveler who has gone to a dengue-endemic region, gotten infected there, and then come back and had experienced dengue fever," said Michael Teng, associate professor of medicine at USF Health.
"We don't usually see locally acquired cases like we're seeing now," Teng continued.
However, outbreaks occur in Florida because Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, the types of mosquitoes that spread dengue, are commonly found in the state, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"They are actually daytime biters. So, they have a lot of activity after sunrise and before sunset," Teng said. "They don't like to be in the sun, but in the shade."
Dengue presents as a flu-like illness. It's characterized by severe muscle aches, joint pain, fever and occasionally rashes.
"Dengue fever was nicknamed 'breakbone fever' because it feels like your bones are breaking," Teng said.
The fever is not contagious, and there are usually no respiratory complications. Symptoms usually start within 15 days of a mosquito bite. Hospitalizations for severe cases are common.
"It can only be spread by mosquitoes. It can't be spread person-to-person. So, if you can limit your contact with mosquitoes, that really limits the likelihood you're going to be infected with the virus," Teng said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 208 dengue cases in Florida last week.
The 111 statewide cases reported by the state Department of Health on Thursday include 95 in Hillsborough, 7 in Miami-Dade, 5 in Pinellas and 2 in Pasco since July.
"The number of cases that they have are likely to be an undercount because not everybody gets severe enough disease to present to a physician," Teng said.
Mosquito control agencies in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties said they are stepping up aerial pesticide spraying and other efforts to limit the spread of mosquitoes.
Health officials also espouse personal prevention focused on three actions: spray, cover and drain.
- Using a federally registered insect repellent with these active ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol or 2-undecanone.
- Wearing loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and long pants while outside and avoiding areas with high mosquito populations, especially at sunrise and sunset.
- Removing any standing water around residences where mosquitoes can breed.
If an individual is experiencing symptoms, they should contact their healthcare provider or local county health department to receive instructions on how to safely seek medical attention, Maher said.
