Florida Keys sees its first dengue fever outbreak in 10 years when the health department confirms that 16 people have been infected
- More than a dozen cases of dengue have been reported in the Florida Keys
- Dengue-carrying mosquitoes feed mainly on humans and rarely travel more than 200 yards from their breeding habitat near homes.
- Symptoms usually start with severe flu-like symptoms, headache, or muscle and joint pain
16 cases of dengue fever have been confirmed in the Florida Keys, according to health officials.
The first infection was documented in March this year, but since then another 15 people have been infected, mainly in June.
It is the first mosquito-borne disease outbreak in 10 years.
Dengue-carrying mosquitoes feed mainly on humans and rarely travel more than 200 yards from their breeding habitat near homes.
All cases appear to have been located in an area two miles from Key Largo according to the Florida Department of Health.
The last time there was an outbreak in the region was more than a decade ago, when there were 47 cases of dengue fever in 2009, followed by 65 cases in 2010.
The health department says that no one in the Keys has died of dengue this year and everyone who contracted it is expected to make a full recovery.
The disease is life threatening. Symptoms include severe muscle pain and soreness, fever and a rash. They usually appear within 10 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.
More than a dozen cases of dengue have been reported in the Florida Keys (file photo of a jetty in Marathon, Florida Keys)
Florida regulators approved a plan to release 750 million genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in Monroe County as part of a test to control mosquito populations.
The virus is carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also carried the yellow fever virus, Zika and chikungunya.
Health officials urge people to take precautions to limit exposure to mosquitoes.
This includes cleaning gutters, using window screens and air conditioning, as well as emptying containers filled with water, such as pots, pails, trash cans, and pet bowls.
‘The Monroe Health Department and the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District are working closely together to continue surveillance and prevention efforts. The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District is assisting with the investigation and has stepped up its mosquito control activities, ‘said Alison Kerr, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County.
Last month, state regulators in Florida approved a plan to release 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes that they hope can slow the spread of the disease.
Designed by British biotech firm Oxitec, the mosquitoes have been modified to transmit a particular protein when they mate, ensuring that the young do not survive the next generation.
With fewer females in each subsequent generation, the researchers expect the overall mosquito population in the region to decline along with transmission rates of mosquito-borne disease.
The modified mosquitoes, of the Aedes aegypti species, are all male, and the company maintains that because only female mosquitoes can bite, there is no risk to humans by releasing them.
The mosquitoes will be released in Monroe County in South Florida later this summer, and Oxitec says they will make a final decision on the location in late July.
The plan has been controversial, and some advocacy groups argue that the EPA has not adequately investigated the possible consequences of releasing genetically modified mosquitoes into the wild.
“People here in Florida do not consent to genetically modified mosquitoes or to be human experiments,” said Barry Wray of the Florida Keys Environmental Coalition.
In June, a collection of environmental advocacy groups announced a plan to sue the EPA to halt the progress of testing, alleging that the agency had violated the Endangered Species Act by approving the project without sufficient investigation.
Jaydee Hanson of the International Center for Technology Assessment and Food Safety Center described it as the equivalent of a “Jurassic Park experiment” and claimed that the EPA had “illegally refused to seriously analyze environmental risks.”
Developed by British biotech firm Oxitec, mosquitoes contain a protein that reduces the chances of survival for female offspring, which could lead to a gradual decline in overall mosquito populations and reduce the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.
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