Dengue Travel Alert for the Americas Reissued

The U.S. government once again confirmed dengue is an ongoing risk in many parts of Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

On April 17, 2023, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it had reissued a Watch - Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions notice regarding various dengue outbreaks in countries throughout the Americas.

This CDC travel alert was originally posted on August 27, 2019.

In addition, the CDC says the listed countries are reporting higher-than-usual numbers of dengue cases, and travelers visiting these countries may be at increased risk.

Dengue can become severe within a few hours, and severe dengue is a medical emergency, usually requiring hospitalization.

However, the CDC did not highlight recent travel-related and locally-acquired dengue cases in Florida and Puerto Rico in 2023.

As of April 19, 2023, dengue remains a health risk in Florida.

During 2023, the Florida Health Department reported on April 15, 2023, there had been 61 travel-associated dengue cases and two locally acquired dengue cases confirmed in 2023. 

And in mid-2022, the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County announced it was under a mosquito-borne illness advisory where dengue (DENV-3) cases were confirmed. 

In 2022, 903 travel-associated and 68 locally-acquired dengue cases were reported in Florida.

There were 2.8 million dengue cases reported in 46 countries and territories in the Americas in 2022, representing a two-fold increase compared to the 1.2 million cases reported in 2021.

One tactic to reduce the number of dengue infections is vaccination.

Since October 30, 2022, two dengue vaccines have been authorized in various countries.

The World Health Organization, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency recommend dengue vaccines should be given to certain persons living or visiting dengue-risk areas. 

While these dengue vaccines have various authorizations and restrictions, people interested in this type of protection should speak with a travel vaccine specialist, often located in clinics and pharmacies in the U.S.