A second Los Angeles County resident has contracted dengue fever without traveling outside of the United States, local health officials announced Nov. 1.
A Long Beach resident was infected by the mosquito-borne virus and has recovered at home, the Long Beach Health Department confirmed Wednesday.
“We are working closely with health officials to do everything we can to prevent more cases, Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement Wednesday.
The city is also asking everyone to “do their part” by removing any standing water on their property to help control mosquitoes in neighborhoods, Mr. Richardson added.
Dengue, also known as break-bone fever, is a viral infection spread most commonly when Aedes-species mosquitoes bite humans infected with the virus and then spread it to others.
The virus is usually found in tropical and subtropical climates, with the majority typically found in Brazil, Peru, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Argentina, Mexico, Philippines, Nicaragua, India, and Colombia.
The Long Beach resident infected this month had no history of traveling to a region where the virus was common, according to the Los Angeles County health department.
Most people who get the virus have mild or no symptoms and will get better in one to two weeks. The fever can be severe, however, and lead to death, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Symptoms start to occur about four to 10 days after infection and can last for up to a week. These include a high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands, and rash, WHO reported.
Aedes-species mosquitoes are active during the day and in well-lit areas at night, and only need a small amount of water to breed, according to the city of Long Beach. City residents are encouraged to use mosquito repellent, wear loose-fitting clothes with long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
“We are taking many steps to prevent mosquito-borne infections in Long Beach,” the city’s health officer, Dr. Anissa Davis, said in the press release Wednesday.
Outreach teams were visiting the neighborhood where the dengue fever was identified to provide information on mosquito bite prevention and ways to control mosquitoes from breeding around homes.
The city’s health department continue to trap and test mosquitoes near the area to look for infected ones and are intensifying efforts to reduce breeding and control the mosquito population, according to Ms. Davis.
This week’s dengue fever case was the second reported locally transmitted case in Los Angeles County in October. The first was confirmed as a Pasadena resident, according to the county health department.
“Before these individuals, all reported dengue cases in L.A. County have reported recent travel to a country where dengue is commonly spread,” the county health department said on its website this week.
Travel-related cases are reported every year and can occur at any time in Los Angeles County, according to the county health department.
The Aedes species mosquitoes that can spread the virus are not native to California.
Since arriving in 2011, the infestation has spread and they are now abundant and found in most parts of the county, the health department reported in its statement this week.
