Florida: New case of dengue fever brings Martin County total to 21

The Florida Department of Health in Martin urges residents to continue to take precautions against mosquito borne illness.

Aedes aegypti Image/CDC

Routine surveillance has confirmed one additional case of dengue fever, bringing the total to 21 locally acquired in the Rio and Jensen Beach area. This case dates back to the middle of June and was not part of the community survey, according to a press release Oct. 3.

In September, teams from the Florida Department of Health conducted a community survey on dengue fever.  Field teams visited approximately 2,000 randomly selected addresses in the Rio and Jensen Beach area, providing information on dengue fever and with consent collecting a blood sample for dengue fever analysis. In total, approximately 360 samples were collected.

The Florida Department of Health is now conducting analyses of the information and samples from the survey. Residents who participated in the survey are expected to receive notification of results by the end of October. Routine community surveillance for dengue continues.

On Wednesday, Martin County health officials reported that the sentinel chicken program had detected the presence of another mosquito borne virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus.

For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page

Looking for a job in health care? Check here to see what’s available