The Travel Doctor
Traveller's medical & vaccination centre
Health Alerts
Travel Doctor TMVC provides the latest health and travel alerts, including updates from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
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Dengue Fever in Florida USA
Sunday, 27 September, 2009
Health Officials have reported three confirmed cases of dengue fever in Key West, Florida. One of the cases; a tourist from New York, is the first locally acquired case of dengue fever in the state in more than forty years. Dengue fever is rare in Florida but not unknown. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are investigating the outbreak and mosquito eradication has been stepped up in the area.
Dengue fever is a disease that is spread by the day biting mosquito, Aedes aegypt and is prevalent in Central and South America and the Caribbean islands. The disease can cause an acute flu-like illness that affects infants, young children and adults. There are no specific medications available to prevent or treat dengue fever. Travellers must ensure that they use measures to avoid mosquito bites including the regular use of personal insect repellants.
