Dengue fever surges in U.S. states prompt health officials to brace for new normal
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 3,700 new dengue infections were reported last year in the contiguous United States, up from about 2,050 in 2023, the report said, adding the surge included 105 cases contracted in California, Florida or Texas -- infections acquired locally rather than through international travel.
California witnessed the most dramatic escalation. In 2024, California saw 725 new dengue cases, including 18 acquired locally, state data showed. This represented a nearly threefold increase from about 250 new cases, including two acquired locally, in 2023.
The disease spreads through bites from infected Aedes mosquitoes, which have expanded their territory aggressively. The Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes that transmit dengue were not known to be in the Golden State 25 years ago. They are now found in 25 counties and more than 400 cities and unincorporated communities, mostly in Southern California and the Central Valley.
Michael Ben-Aderet, associate medical director of hospital epidemiology at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, was quoted as saying that he believed dengue fever had become a "new normal" in the United States, emphasizing that the mosquito population would continue to persist.
Climate change fueled the mosquito population's growth, as these mosquitoes survive best in warm urban areas, often biting during the daytime, according to Ben-Aderet.
The CDC issued a health alert in March warning of the ongoing risk of dengue infection.
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