San Diego County is taking swift action after the first-ever reported case of locally acquired dengue.
What's happening?
It was announced in San Diego County's News Center earlier this month that the County Vector Control sprayed for mosquitos at about 170 homes in Escondido over a full weekend in an attempt to quickly halt the potential spread of the dengue virus.
To make matters more concerning, the Escondido resident who contracted the mosquito-borne virus didn't travel to an area where dengue is common. Thankfully, no other locally acquired cases were reported at that time. However, there were 49 identified cases of travel-related dengue in San Diego County.
"While the risk of widespread transmission of dengue remains low in San Diego County, County Public Health and Vector Control are working closely to respond quickly to prevent mosquitoes from spreading the illness in this area," Dr. Ankita Kadakia, county interim public health officer, said in the release.
Why is this important?
The reported locally acquired case in San Diego County signifies the continued spread of the dengue virus in California. In 2024, Los Angeles County reported five cases of locally contracted dengue, while Long Beach and Pasadena had their first locally acquired cases last year.
The increase in cases can be attributed to our changing climate, which has created more favorable conditions for mosquitoes to breed. The continued rising temperatures allow mosquitoes to expand their territory, increasing the risk of dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases like Zika and chikungunya.
Someone infected with dengue can take four to seven days to start showing symptoms, which include fever, chills, aches and pains, nausea, vomiting, and rash. Most people recover within a week, but some extreme cases can include shock and respiratory distress and require hospitalization. There are no medicines that can treat dengue.
What's being done about this?
San Diego County introduced its "Fight The Bite" campaign, encouraging residents to do their part in reducing mosquito populations in the area.
Dumping and draining any standing water, using EPA-approved insect repellents, and wearing long sleeves are among the ways residents can prevent bites from mosquitos that transmit dengue and other illnesses.
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County Vector Control also conducted similar spraying treatments in Oceanside in September and in the Mount Hope area of San Diego in July to prevent local spread.
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