LA County Health Confirms 4th Case Of Locally Acquired Dengue

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed a new case of locally acquired dengue on Wednesday.

The person, who lives in Panorama City, had no history of traveling to areas where dengue is endemic, officials said. This case is not related to the cluster of confirmed cases that were previously reported on Sept. 18.

With this case, LA County has now reported four cases of locally acquired dengue in 2024. Despite the sharp uptick in cases, public health officials maintained that these cases are extremely rare in LA.

Related coverage: LA Sees 'Unprecedented' Spread Of Dengue Fever Spread By Mosquitoes

“This is an unprecedented cluster of locally acquired dengue for a region where dengue has not previously been transmitted by mosquitoes,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

The first known case of locally transmitted dengue fever in LA was recorded last October.

In 2024, local transmission of dengue has also been reported in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nationwide, there have been 3,442 confirmed dengue cases in 2024 so far with two more months of mosquito season still to go.

People can be infected with the virus from an Aedes aegypti, also known as an ankle-biter mosquito. Since they were first detected in California over the last decade, they've entrenched themselves statewide.

“We are seeing the local transmission of dengue, which is unprecedented in Los Angeles County. Preventing mosquito bites and mosquito breeding is the best way stop the ongoing local transmission of dengue,” said Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County Health Officer.

Symptoms of dengue include fever, nausea, vomiting, rash and body aches. Symptoms usually last two to seven days and most people recover after about a week, though severe and life-threatening illness can occur, PPHD said.

There are no medicines or vaccines to prevent dengue fever, and most treatment includes rest, fluids and monitoring for early signs.

To prevent further spread of the mosquito-borne disease, health officials urged the public to take the following proactive steps:

• Wearing mosquito repellent
• Keeping mosquitoes out of homes
• Preventing mosquito breeding

The Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District recommended people get rid of all standing water. Most mosquitos lay eggs on the surface of the water, but Aedes mosquitos lay their eggs on the sides of containers so simply dumping out the water may not eliminate the bugs.

It's recommended that residents do away with plant saucers and keep repellant handy to help control the spread of the Aedes mosquito.

“We are seeing the local transmission of dengue, which is unprecedented in Los Angeles County. Preventing mosquito bites and mosquito breeding is the best way stop the ongoing local transmission of dengue,” said Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County Health Officer.