More Travelers Bring Dengue to Florida

The Region of the Americas has seen a significant surge in dengue cases and, in 2023, “is showing intense dengue transmission,”  stated the World Health Organization on March 23, 2023.

By early March 2023, 342,243 dengue cases, including 86 deaths, were reported in the Americas.

At this pace, 2023 may easily eclipse the results seen in 2022.

In 2022, over 2.8 cases of dengue, including 1,290 deaths, representing a two-fold increase in patients compared with 2021.

Unfortunately, this trend is being realized in the state of Florida.

The Florida Health Department reported as of week #12, there had been 52 travel-associated dengue cases, and one locally acquired dengue case confirmed this year. 

This compares with 903 travel-associated and 68 locally-acquired dengue cases reported in 2022, primarily in southern Florida.

The good news is that dengue is a vaccine-preventable disease, and two vaccines are becoming more available for international travelers in 2023.