Miami-Dade health officials on Thursday said a 70-year-old woman is the first case of locally contracted Dengue Fever in the county this year.
Officials said the woman has since recovered from the mosquito-borne illness.
“this is the first case in the community that has been locally acquired. Other cases have been reported but they have been imported," said Dr. Alvaro Mejia-Echeverry, an epidemiologist with the Miami-Dade County Health Department.
Officials warned residents to cover themselves to avoid getting bitten and to drain standing water where mosquitoes may breed.
“Just one millimeter of water is able to be enough for the mosquito to breed," Mejia-Echeverry said.
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Until 2010, there had not been a local case in 50 years, officials said.
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According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website, symptoms include fever, severe headache, severe pain behind the eyes and joint pain. Click here for the complete list.
Dengue Fever is a viral disease that can sometimes be deadly and is transmitted by mosquitoes, the CDC said. A new test has been developed to diagnose it within the first seven days that symptoms are visible.
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Local health officials said many times people just feel achy and feverish.
