Florida health officials have confirmed a locally acquired case of mosquito-borne dengue fever in Miami-Dade County. It is the first case of dengue this year.
Health officials did not identify the person who was infected or where in the county the infection took place, but issued a general warning for residents. They reiterated common mosquito protection steps residents should take year-round, including the draining of any standing water on properties, clearing debris and covering the skin with proper insect repellent and clothing.
"Dengue is more common in Central America, the northern parts of South America, and in some of the islands of the Caribbean," says Sergio Segarra, M.D., chief medical officer at Baptist Hospital of Miami. "It's very rare to have dengue. That's why I was very surprised to hear about the confirmed case here in Miami."
Symptoms of dengue fever include severe headache (mostly behind the eyes), high fever, rash and severe muscle and joint pain. Some dengue cases can be life-threatening.
"Dengue is commonly known as 'breakbone disease' because you get such sever muscle aches and pains with dengue," says Dr. Segarra. "A few days later, you'll develop a fever."
[Transcript]
[Baptist Health]
[Sergio Segarra, M.D. Chief Medical Officer, Baptist Hospital of Miami]
Dengue fever is a viral infection. It is transmitted through a mosquito, a type of mosquito, Aedes type mosquito.
[Picture is shown of a map of where the disease is more common]
And, it's very common or more common in Central America, in the northern parts of South America, and in some of the islands in the Caribbean. It's very rare to have Dengue, and that's why I was surprised when we heard a confirmed Dengue case here in Miami.
[Dr. Segarra]
It's commonly known as breakbone disease. And the reason that it's known as breakbone disease is that you get such muscle aches. Flu symptoms are more common. You start out with achiness. You'll also get a fever, the coughing and sore throat, getting sinus congestion with the flu.
[Dr. Segarra]
There's multiple places to seek help. Depending on your symptoms and how sick you are, and we have Care On Demand, that's an excellent option. Care On Demand is an excellent app that you could download onto your phone.
[Mock footage of the CareOnDemand app is shown]
And then, on your phone, you can actually scroll through some physicians, and then seek that physician that you want to have a conversation with. And often, by explaining your symptoms, they could either prescribe you an antiviral, or direct you to an emergency department or urgent care. Right now, we have a coupon for Care On Demand, which is Flu Fighters. So you get a $20 discount using that.
[Dr. Segarra]
If you see a doctor on Care On Demand and they refer you to one of our Baptist facilities, then your Care On Demand visit is no charge.
[Baptist Health Logo]
[End Transcript]
