During the busy spring break year, the United States is on the lookout for dengue fever as the prevalence of the mosquito-borne disease is rising worldwide.
Some of the places where dengue cases are more prevalent are in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Cuba, Colombia, and Mexico, which are known to result in temperature, intense muscle aches, and occasionally a rash.
Mosquitoes infected females and aedes aegypti through bites can distribute hepatitis to people. Additionally, Florida is one of the places where the odious bugs can be found in some parts of the United States.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “dengue cases have significantly increased in the last five years, with the most marked increases occurring in the Americas,” which last year reported record-breaking numbers of infections.
More than 760, 000 dengue cases have been reported in 2025, according to the CDC’s health release, which states that “many countries reported higher-than-usual numbers of dengue cases in 2024 and 2025.” In some regions of the United States, mosquito action “remains great.” continued dengue outbreaks are a problem in Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.
The national health agency is urging doctors to “take a complete travel history” of patients with rapid fever and to check for potential dengue symptoms in patients who lately experienced dengue. The CDC also advises physicians to “ask individuals who plan to travel to get precautions to prevent mosquito bites during travel and for three days after returning, especially if traveling to an area with frequent or ongoing mosquito transfer.”
Are Florida and other well-known flower break locations dengue-prone?
More than 1,150 dengue cases have been reported in the United States this time, the most of which were reported in Puerto Rico, which, according to the CDC, declared a public health emergency in first 2024.
According to federal and state information, Puerto Rico has recorded at least 1, 012 instances of dengue so far in 2025, followed by Florida, 50, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, which has recorded 40 situations.
Where do mosquito situations originate?
Dengue is a widespread mosquito-borne disease in several nations, including the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific Islands, according to the CDC. Additionally, the national public health organization claims to have found more cases of dengue among Americans who travel to destinations like Cuba, Colombia, Panama, Brazil, and Mexico.
According to state data, all but one of the 50 dengue cases in Florida are considered to be travel-related, meaning the people traveled to a “dengue-endemic area” within the two weeks prior to developing symptoms. Additionally, more than half of the country’s recorded dengue cases involve people from Miami-Dade who recently traveled abroad.
According to the country’s most new surveillance report, the majority of Floridians who contracted dengue this year had just visited Cuba. Miami-Dade even released a report for the state’s only “locally acquired” mosquito event for 2025 in February.
The CDC predicted that the U.S. will experience an increase in the risk of locally acquired and travel-related mosquito in the coming weeks because spring and summer travel coincided with” the peak season for mosquito in many countries.”
For instance, malaria season in Miami-Dade County runs from June through November, according to Dr. John-Paul Mutebi, department chairman of Miami-Dade’s Mosquito Control, recently reported to the Miami Herald.
What else should I hear?
Does a mosquito bite cause illness?
Flies are prevalent throughout Florida year-round. However, not all of them can make you ill.
Some of them are obnoxious parasites. Diseases like mosquito, West Nile, and Zika are spread among others.
Just a few of the 49 known varieties in Miami-Dade County are deemed nuisances to humans, according to malaria inspectors. One of the most concerning species for state officials is the yellow fever malaria, which is stretched Zika, dengue, and yellow fever throughout Miami-Dade.
What signs indicate mosquito disease?
According to the Mayo Clinic, the majority of dengue cases don’t show signs, and many recover within a year. However, some people become critically ill and pass away. According to the Mayo Clinic, those who have had severe dengue fever may experience severe chest discomfort, prolonged vomiting, difficulty or rapid breathing, inner bleeding, and organ failure.
According to the Florida Department of Health,” symptoms appear 3 to 14 days after the bite of an infected mosquito” and include a sudden onset of fever, a severe headache, eye pain, muscle and joint pain, and bleeding. Some people may also experience diarrhea and vomiting.
The only way to find out if you have dengue is to undergo testing.
What should you do about it?
The good news is that, unlike the flu, dengue can only be spread by mosquito bites and is not contagious. The bad news is that there isn’t a particular treatment for dengue fever.
The CDC advises taking acetaminophen ( Tylenol ) to help with fever and rest as much as possible if you do become ill with dengue. As the Herald has previously reported, avoid taking “ibuprofen ( Advil ) or aspirin because they may cause bleeding in more severe cases.”
Tips to lower your risk of contracting dengue
Avoiding being bit by the annoying bloodsuckers is the best way to lower your risk of contracting dengue infection:
Here are some pointers:
Wear EPA-approved long-sleeve shirts if you intend to go outside. also wear socks and pants. This may come off as insulting, especially if you want to get a tan or are planning a “hot girl summer.” Leave the shorts, tanks, and sandals at home if you want to lower the chance of getting a bite. And drink plenty of water, especially if it’s hot outside. You don’t want to experience heat exhaustion or any other heat-related illness.
Use EPA-registered mosquito repellents. DEET, picaridin, lemon eucalyptus oil, or IR-3535 should be the repellents.
Clean your gutters. You don’t want the gutters to become clogged with branches and other leaves that could make it easier for rain to pool. Check the contents of your home’s containers, pots, buckets, toys, plastic covers, and other items to make sure there isn’t any standing water either. Remember that standing water is a mosquito’s breeding ground.
At least once a week, according to the EPA, wash the water in bird baths, fountains, wading pools, and potted plant trays. Make sure to keep the water circulating and treated if you have a swimming pool.
Replace outdoor lights with yellow “bug lights” These lights are not repellents, but they do tend to draw fewer mosquitoes, according to the EPA.
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