Florida Dengue Outbreak Claims 1st Death, Raising Fears After Hundreds Fall Ill
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Nov 9
Florida Dengue Outbreak Claims 1st Death, Raising Fears After Hundreds Fall Ill
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Nov 9
Summary
Gay Rabb Small, 80, died on Sept. 4 after contracting dengue from a mosquito bite in the Tampa area, becoming the only known fatality so far in Florida’s outbreak.
Hundreds of people in Florida have been sickened, and health officials say the scale of the outbreak suggests dengue may be reestablishing itself in the continental United States after decades of limited spread.
Most dengue cases in the continental U.S. are usually linked to travel, but experts say much of the current Florida transmission appears to be local, spread by mosquitoes within the state.
University of Florida biostatistician Ira Longini said outbreaks are likely to worsen in coming years, underscoring concerns that dengue is becoming a more durable U.S. public health threat.