With the peak of the mosquito season, officials are preparing for new regular dengue fever cases

Philip Rice

It also consumes summer in The peak of the mosquito seasonHealth and anti -Callowers are preparing for another year of historical dengue fever rates. With climate change, the absence of an effective vaccine, and the reduction of federal research, they are concerned that the disease will become a settler of a larger group of North America.

About 3700 The new dengue infection was reported last year in the neighboring United States, up from about 2050 in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All cases of last year were obtained abroad, with the exception of 105 cases that were contracted in California, Florida or Texas. The Center for Disease Control A. A healthy alert In March, a warning of the risk of persistent dengue fever.

“I think dengue fever is with us to stay,” said infectious pathologist. Michael bin Radeth, Hospital Assistant Medical Director in the hospital Cedar-Sina In Los Angeles, dengue fever has become a new natural in the United States, “These mosquitoes are not going anywhere.”

Dengue fever is a settlement – the brand’s health officials are appointed when diseases appear constantly in the area – in Many warmer parts From the world, including Latin America, India and Southeast Asia. Dengue fever cases It increased significantly last year In many of these places, especially in Central and South America.

The disease that It can spread When people are biting because of the injured Paddle The mosquitoes were not common in the neighboring United States throughout most of the last century. Today, most cases of dengue obtained locally (which have nothing to do In 2024Which leads to a state of emergency for local public health.

Most people who transport dengue fever Do not get sick. But in some people, symptoms are severe: bleeding from the nose or mouth, severe stomach pain, vomiting, and swelling. Sometimes, dengue fever causes death.

California provides a case study on how dengue fever is spread in the United States AEDES AEGYPTI and Albopictus The mosquitoes that transmit dengue fever were not known in the state 25 years ago. It was now found in 25 provinces and More than 400 cities Unfortunately societies, most of them in southern California and in the middle of the valley.

Steve Absher, Chairman of the Board California Anti -Completion and Control Association in California.

From 2016 to 2022, there was an average of 136 new lava fever in a year in California, most likely every case was brought to the state by a person who traveled and was injured elsewhere. In 2023, there were about 250 new cases, including two locally obtained.

In 2024, California witnessed 725 cases of new dengue fever, including 18 obtained locally, State data appears.

Climate change can contribute to growth in Paddle Bin Aderet said that the residents of the mosquitoes. These mosquitoes remain better in warm urban areas, often bitten during the day. Infections often occurred locally when someone holds a dengue while traveling, then returns to the house and is bitten by Paddle The mosquitoes that bite and affect another person.

“They just spread like a wildfire throughout California,” Bin Adirit said.

Dengue fever is a challenge for many doctors in the field of primary care who have not seen it. Bin Aderett said that doctors who suspect dengue fever get a detailed travel date from their patients, but confirmation of the diagnosis is not always fast.

“There is no easy test for that,” he said. “The only test we have in dengue fever is antibody tests.” “Most laboratories may not do it commercially, so it usually looks like a transmission test from most laboratories. So you really have to suspect that someone suffers from dengue.”

Absier said that the best practices to avoid dengue fever include getting rid of any water pools of water on property – even small bathrooms – and using mosquito repellent. Reducing activity at dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes often bite, can also help.

The efforts to combat dengue in California have become more complicated this year after forest fires erupted through Los Angeles. Fires occurred at a hot point for mosquitoes. San Gabriel Valley Muskito and officials of the vector control area I did For several months to treat more than 1,400 swimming pools not preserved in the aftermath of the fire, removing the potential reproductive lands of mosquitoes.

Provincial spokeswoman Anna Medina Diaz said that Saint -Gabriel vector officials used local and state resources to treat complexes. They have applied for compensation from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has not been historically paid for vectors control efforts after forest fires.

In California, vectors monitoring agencies are often funded primarily through local taxes and fees on real estate owners.

Some officials follow the method of the novel Sterilization Paddle Mosquitoes To reduce the problem. This may be effective, but spreading the method in a large number of areas will be costly and will require a tremendous effort at the state level. At the same time, the federal government is back away from interventions: several outlets have stated that the national institutes of health Stop financing New research related to climate change, which can include work in dengue fever.

This year, dengue fever rates were reported in most Americas It decreased dramatically From 2024, but the trend in the United States is likely to be clear until later in the year, after the end of the summer mosquito season.

Researchers in health and control in carriers are not sure of their misfortune in California. Some say that there may be limited outbreaks, while others expect to get worse. Sujan ShreistaA professor and researcher of infectious diseases at the La Joel Institute for Immunology said that other places, such as Nepal, have witnessed a few cases of dengue fever in the recent past, but now it is witnessing a great outrage.

There is a children’s vaccine, but it is Stop faces From the lack of global demand. Two other dengue vaccines are not available in the United States. Shrsta Laborata works hard An effective and safe vaccine Dengue fever. It hopes to launch the results of the animal test within a year or so; If the results are positive, human experiences may be possible within almost two years.

She said: “If there is no good vaccine, and there is no good viral fight, then this will be a country of dengue fever.”

Phillip Reese is a data reporting and associate professor of journalism at California State University.

This article was produced by KFF Health NewsWhich is published California HealthyinIndependent editorial service for California Health Care Corporation.

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