Dengue fever

[m steve]

Today's Washington Post had an article that said it has become an epidemic in the Caribbean due to recent rains. St. Martin, Puerto Rico, the DR and other areas incl. Key West seem to be affected. Bring insect repellant w/ deet on your cruise. It can last about a week but in a few cases it can kill the person.

[Oceanwench]

Big problem in Key West, and it appeared there was a case in Miami, but happily the person tested negative.

South Florida is watching this one very closely.

One article I read suggested using repellant indoors too ...

 

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/health/dengue-virus-found-in-5dengue-virus-found-in-5-percent-of-key-800696.html?cxntlid=cmg_cntnt_rss

[Krazy Kruizers]

Yes -- it was on our morning news today.

[spcl4cs_gal]

Fortunately for me I am going to Egypt in December and need to get all of the shots to prevent typhoid, hep, yellow fever, and such before I go. That will get me all prepared for the Caribbean in March.

[jtl513]

Key West seem to be affected. Bring insect repellant w/ deet on your cruise.

There have been three cases reported in Orange county (FL), and one in Ocala ... but it is thought that the Ocala man contracted it in Key West.

[catl331]

They are thinking they should make a vaccine for this disease. Probably like a flu shot. Haven't seem many mosquitoes here on the Space Coast this year and that is probably due to the fact that the only rain I see is what the Orlando stations show is falling over there!

[UKBayern]

Fortunately for me I am going to Egypt in December and need to get all of the shots to prevent typhoid, hep, yellow fever, and such before I go. That will get me all prepared for the Caribbean in March.

 

Unfortunately, then you have been misinformed. There are no pills or injections available for dengue fever, neither is there any treatment. Only insect repellent can help you.

 

That said, the tiger mosquito that spreads malaria and dengue is only active in the evenings, almost never in broad daylight. Cruise passengers are therefore less at risk, unless your ship overnights and you do a jungle expedition in the dark.

[Oceanwench]

Unfortunately, then you have been misinformed. There are no pills or injections available for dengue fever, neither is there any treatment. Only insect repellent can help you.

 

That said, the tiger mosquito that spreads malaria and dengue is only active in the evenings, almost never in broad daylight. Cruise passengers are therefore less at risk, unless your ship overnights and you do a jungle expedition in the dark.

 

Funny - this is what the article in the Palm Beach Post says:

 

The mosquito that transmits dengue is Aedes aegypti, a daytime biter common where there's standing water in urban areas in South Florida. It also will bite at night inside lighted houses.

 

"That's a very common mosquito," said Ed Bradford, director of Palm Beach County Mosquito Control. "They are difficult to control because it's impossible to larvicide everybody's property."

 

The mosquito prefers the indoors, so the CDC recommends that people use mosquito repellent both inside and out, said Harold Margolis, chief of the dengue branch at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

[spcl4cs_gal]

Unfortunately, then you have been misinformed. There are no pills or injections available for dengue fever, neither is there any treatment. Only insect repellent can help you.

 

That said, the tiger mosquito that spreads malaria and dengue is only active in the evenings, almost never in broad daylight. Cruise passengers are therefore less at risk, unless your ship overnights and you do a jungle expedition in the dark.

 

Well fortunately for me I will be protected against everything else under the sun when I get there. Malaria pills are standing by to start as I get closer to my departure and during the trip. After taking an excursion into the "jungle" for a Mayan expedition and nearly getting eaten alive, I always throw a bottle of repellent into my suitcase just to be safe.

[Sage]

When we lived in Puerto Rico many years ago, my DH was bitten and had Dengue Fever. He was very ill for ten days. This is not a disease to mess around with, so take your bug spray and follow the recommendations.

[catl331]

Best to be protected from the insects, sun, food poisoning etc. Never hurts to be ready.:)

[Oceanwench]

From CDC site:

 

The adult mosquitoes like to bite inside as well as around homes, during the day and at night when the lights are on. To protect yourself, use repellent on your skin while indoors or out. When possible, wear long sleeves and pants for additional protection. Also, make sure window and door screens are secure and without holes. If available, use air-conditioning.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

What frightens me here in South Florida are all the abandoned homes with pools ... pools that are virtual swamps now.

In my neighborhood, there is a home that has been abandoned and the pool is just a black lagoon. Many of the screens around the pool are torn. Seems to me that places like this are perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes. This scenario is replicated all over this state.

[0bnxshs]

There have been three cases reported in Orange county (FL), and one in Ocala ... but it is thought that the Ocala man contracted it in Key West.

 

According to the paper, none of these cases were acquired locally. Better safe than sick though, so bring your DEET if you're heading to Florida or the Caribbean, as we have seen Eastern Ecquine Encephalitis here. :eek:

[m steve]

and have not read about a local infected.

[jtl513]

and have not read about a local infected.

http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/local/071610-dengue-ocala

 

LAKE MARY, Fla. (AP) - A health department official from Orange County has told FOX 35 that there are three cases of dengue fever in Orange County.

 

Late Thursday, health officials in Miami and Ocala were reporting the first suspected cases of dengue fever, a potentially serious mosquito-borne illness that had once disappeared from the United States.

 

Health officials say the Miami Beach man who is suspected of contracting the disease has fully recovered. No further information was released Thursday about the case in Ocala.

[shandryl]

This sounds awful..........

 

here is a link I found

http://findtut.com/dozens-killed-by-dengue-epidemic-in-caribbean-5910333

[luxurysailer]

The old descriptive name for dengue is "breakbone fever." So, if you get it, you're going to know you've been very ill unless you're fortunate and have only a mild case.

 

This disease is endemic to the Caribbean, i.e. it is always there, so caution should always be used.

[world~citizen]

Unfortunately, then you have been misinformed. There are no pills or injections available for dengue fever, neither is there any treatment. Only insect repellent can help you.

 

This is very true.

 

By the way, Dengue fever is one thing, Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever is something else - same mosquito, more serious illness.

 

You want to use insect repellant with a high DEET content.

[-BoatrideBetty-]

We tend to err on the side of paranoia when we travel to the Caribbean by using repellant and wearing one of those repellant dispersing fans on our beltloops. Much better safe than sorry. I think I read somewhere that Jane Seymour contracted Dengue Fever and was terribly ill. Travel safe!

[TracieABD]

ExOfficio is also making a line of clothing that they claim to be an insect repellant. I wonder if that is working...

Anyone tried it yet?

[hobo1937]

ExOfficio is also making a line of clothing that they claim to be an insect repellant. I wonder if that is working...

Anyone tried it yet?

 

We purchased a set of pants/shirts for an Asia cruise we took a few years ago and have since used them in South and Central America. Have never gotten bitten while wearing them....they also have sun protection. Don't know if insect repellant would have worked just as well but we don't like using that stuff.

 

Sometimes the website Sierra Trading Post has them for a lower price then other retailers.

[sevenseasnomad]

There is a repellent that WalMart, BassProShops & several other sporting-goods stores sell that washes into the clothes. I cannot remember the name of the product, but it has been tested in the jungle & found to be extremely effective at keeping all types of insects away.

 

We found out about it online by typing in "clothes/insect repellent." For our upcoming trip to Panama Canal, we had planned to soak the clothes we were going to wear in Panama & Costa Rica, but from what all of you are saying, we should also treat any clothes we plan to wear in Florida or a Caribbean port! Thanks for the heads up, everybody.

[PennyAgain]

My husband got Dengue Fever in the Caribbean in the 1970's. He was very sick and had a hard time getting back to the United States. He was warned that a 2nd exposure to that disease could kill him. Obviously he is very careful....now.

[Sage]

DH had the Hemorrhagic Dengue, and to this day, some 25 years later, when he carries something heavy, you can still see some bleeding under his skin. His case was truly one that he thought that every bone in his body was broken. It never hurts to take precautions.

[m steve]

about Key West. I wonder if any ships are skipping that stop?