We guide the summer Peak mosquito seasonHealth and vector -controlled officials are wielding brace on the possibility of the historical dengue fever of another year. And due to climate change, lack of effective vaccines and federal research, they are worried that the disease will be unique to the larger North American groups.
About 3,700 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, new dengue fever infections in the United States last year increased in about 2,050 in 2023. With the exception of 105 cases signed in California, Florida or Texas, all events of last year were acquired from abroad. CDC is A Health alert In March, a warning about the continuous danger of dengue fever infection.
The epidemic expert said, “I think Dengue will be with us. Michael Ben-Radet, Medical officer Cedars-sinai In Los Angeles, “This mosquito doesn’t go anywhere.”
Dengue develops -health officials are assigned when the disease appears consistently in the region. A lot of warm parts The world, including Latin America, India and Southeast Asia. Dengue Last year, it increased significantly Many places, especially in the central and South America.
disease Can spread If people are bitten by infection Aedes Mosquitoes were not common in adjacent to most of the last century. Today, the most acquired incident in the United States (meaning that is not related to travel) has occurred in Puerto Rico and has seen a sharp increase. 2024It causes local public health emergencies.
Most people who contract dengue fever Don’t hurt. But for some people, the symptoms are serious. Bleeding from Kona’s mouth, intense abdominal pain, vomiting and edema. Sometimes, dengue fever causes death.
California provides examples of how dengue fever is spreading in the United States. AEDES AEGYPTI and AEDES ALBOPICTUS The mosquitoes that deliver dengue fever were not known in the state. 25 years ago. They are currently found in 25 counties More than 400 cities And the community is a secret in the southern California and the central valley.
The spread of mosquitoes is related to their presence because they increase the possibility of disease transmission. California Mosquitoes and Vector Control Association.
From 2016 to 2022, there were an average of 136 new dengue fever incidents in California, and each case is likely to have traveled to another place and the infected person has brought it to the state. In 2023, there were about 250 new cases, including two local acquisitions.
In 2024, California saw 725 new dengue fever, including 188. Status data is displayed.
Climate change can contribute to growth Aedes Ben-Ade Ret said by the mosquito population. The mosquitoes survive the warmest urban areas and often bite during the day. Locally acquired infections often occurred when someone caught dengue during the trip and returned home. Aedes Mosquitoes that bite and infect others.
“They just spread like a fire throughout California.
Dengue presents a challenge to many primary doctors who have never seen it. Ben-Ade Ret has a detailed travel record from the patient who suspects dengue fever, but the diagnosis is not always fast.
“There is no easy test,” he said. “The only test for dengue fever is antibody test.” “Most laboratorys are probably not commercially performed, so it’s usually the same as the transmission test of most laboratorys.
Abshier said that the best practices to avoid dengue fever include removing a water pool and using mosquitoes in the real estate (small swimming pool), Abshier said. It can also help mosquitoes to restrict the most frequent twilight and dawn activities.
The effort to fight California’s dengue fever has become more complicated this year after tearing Los Angeles this year. The fire occurred in the hotspot of mosquito -mediated diseases. SAN GABRIEL VALLEY MOSQUITO and Vector Control District I worked When the fire broke out for months, I removed the potential kennel of mosquitoes to treat more than 1,400 talented swimming pools.
Anais Medina Diaz spokesman said San Gabriel Vector Controlorspoppects used local and state resources to handle the pool. They have historically applied for repayment of federal emergency management agencies that have not paid for vector control efforts according to forest fires.
In California, vector control agencies often raise funds with local taxes and fees for real estate owners.
Some officials are pursuing new methods. Discharge sterilization Aedes mosquito To reduce the problem. This may work, but Abshier said that it is expensive to distribute methods in many areas and needs to be huge at the main level. Meanwhile, the federal government is withdrawn from intervention: some stores are the National Institute of Health. Stop funding A new climate change -related study that can include dengue fever work.
This year, many dengue fever has been reported in many America. It was greatly rejected Since 2024. But the US trend will not be clear until the end of the summer season.
Health and vector control researchers are not sure how bad in California. Some people say that the onset can be limited, while others predict that dengue fever can be much worse. Sujan shestaA professor at La Jolla Institute for Immunology, and a researcher at the epidemic, said that other places like Nepal have recently experienced relatively dengue fever cases in the past, but now they are regularly developing.
There is a vaccine for children, but it Facing to stop From the lack of global demand. In the United States, two different dengue fever vaccines cannot be used. SHRESTA’s laboratory is working hard Effective and safe vaccine Dengue fever. She hopes to announce the animal test results for about a year. If the result is positive, human tests may be possible in about two years.
“If you don’t have a good vaccine and don’t have a good antiviral, this will be a state for dengue fever,” she said.
Phillip Rees is a data report expert and associate professor of journalism at Sacramento, California State University.
I wrote this article KFF Health NewsPublished California Health LineEditorial independent service California Health Care Foundation.
KFF Health News is a nationwide newsroom that produces in -depth journalism about health problems and is one of KFF’s core operating programs. Learn more KFF.
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