Americans face a higher risk of dengue this year, CDC warns

People in the U.S. are at a higher risk of catching dengue fever this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns. 

In a new health alert issued on Tuesday (June 25), CDC representatives said that people should be extra vigilant about this potentially deadly viral infection, which is spread to people via the bite of an infected mosquito. 

U.S.-based doctors should also be on the lookout for the disease, particularly in travelers returning from places where it regularly spreads. As of June 24 this year, 745 U.S. travelers have been diagnosed with dengue — a "higher-than-expected" number. By comparison, an average of about 1,600 travel-related cases were reported for the full year in 2022 and 2023, and historically, annual numbers were lower than that. 

Common dengue symptoms include a fever with aches and pains, nausea and a rash that starts out flat and red and then later looks similar to a measles rash. Symptoms usually develop within two weeks of a person being bitten by an infected mosquito, and in most people, these symptoms disappear within a week. 

Related: Scientists release genetically modified mosquitoes to fight dengue in Brazil

However, infants younger than 1 year old, pregnant people, adults over age 65 and people with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, are at an increased risk of developing severe dengue, which can be fatal. This life-threatening condition can cause blood vessels to leak and the number of clot-forming cells in the blood to fall, leading to shock, internal bleeding and organ failure.

There is no specific treatment for dengue fever, but drugs such as painkillers can help manage a patient's symptoms, and in severe cases, supportive care in a hospital and blood transfusions may be needed.