CAMERON COUNTY, Texas — One person is sick with a case of dengue virus that was transmitted in Texas, health officials announced Monday. It's the first locally-acquired case of the virus in Texas this year.
Health officials said the case was reported in a Cameron County resident. Cameron County is the southernmost county in Texas. No other details of the patient were provided.
The virus is transmitted by infected mosquitoes. Dengue virus cases in the United States are most often from travel to regions where infected mosquitoes are common, like the Caribbean, South and Central America, the South Pacific, Asia and Africa.
Cases of the virus spiked in 2024. Texas healthcare providers treated 106 people with travel-related viruses so far this year. One patient died after contracting the virus. This is the highest number of cases of dengue virus in Texas since 2002.
There have been 40 locally-acquired cases of dengue in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, Val Verde, Webb and Willacy counties since 2013. There have been 665 total cases of dengue virus treated in Texas in that time.
One in four people with dengue virus develop symptoms. One in twenty people with symptoms develop severe infections that can be fatal. Most people recover within two weeks of infection.
Symptoms start three to 14 days after infection. Symptomatic patients can have a fever, nausea, vomiting, rash, muscle aches, joint pain, bone pain, pain behind the eyes and headaches.
Prevention
The Texas Department of State Health said people can take steps to reduce their risk of infection:
Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants. Clothing acts as a barrier and prevents mosquitoes from biting.
Use insect repellant. Health Services recommends EPA-registered formulas like DEET repellants, or those with picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol or 2-undecanone.
Remove standing water where mosquitoes can lay their eggs. Dump buckets, toys, tires, clogged gutters and plant pots.
Keep mosquitoes out of your house by keeping windows properly screened in and using air conditioning.
