Death of Texas Woman with Dengue Fever highlights its presence in U.S

Jojy Cheriyan MD,MPH .January 24,2014

Death of a Texas woman after becoming infected with Dengue virus has forced the CDC to issue a warning to all health care professionals not to overlook all fevers.

The woman, who was 63 years old, got infected in August 2012 after taking a one-month vacation to New Mexico. After returning home in Texas, the woman was misdiagnosed as infected with West Nile virus.

On September 22,2012, she went back to an emergency department since she had persistent fever, fatigue and chills. She was admitted to the hospital , but died on October 3 from a rare complication of Dengue called hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.

The CDC journal MMWR published today (January 24) reports that this is the third locally acquired Dengue-related death recorded in the United States and the first Dengue-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis case recorded in the nation.

The report says there may be more unrecognized cases of dengue in the U.S.

For decades, Dengue fever had been thought of as an illness people contracted outside the U.S. This notion changed when several sporadic cases were reported in South Florida in 2009 and 2010. Since then several sporadic outbreaks were also reported from Texas-Mexico border.

Although Dengue fever cannot move from person to person, mosquitoes can spread the disease faster by biting infected patients and carrying it to other people around.

There is no vaccine or no antibiotics currently available against Dengue fever. The disease can cause fever and excruciating body pain, and becomes fatal if a person is infected second or third time.

The only prevention is by avoiding mosquito bites. If you are travelling to areas where there is a risk for Dengue follow these precautions-

-use mosquito repellent to keep the mosquitoes away

-if allergic to repellents, use mosquito screens on windows and doors

-empty or cover all water containers and pools in your yards that can serve as mosquito breeding sites.

-consult a health care provider if the fever, fatigue or excruciating body pain or redness in eyes persist more than a week. Also if new skin rashes appear seek medial help.

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