Thread: Dengue fever a risk in south Texas, CDC says

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070809/us_ ... e_texas_dc

Thu Aug 9, 6:03 PM ET



WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Doctors and health officials in parts of south Texas should be on the lookout for dengue fever, a tropical virus that can cause internal bleeding and death, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday.

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They found an unexpected number of people had apparently been infected with the mosquito-borne virus in a survey launched after a Brownsville, Texas, woman became seriously ill.

"Health authorities along the Texas-Tamaulipas border should consider strengthening surveillance for dengue fever, given the potential for future outbreaks," the CDC said in its weekly report on death and disease.

Only a few hundred cases of dengue are reported in the United States each year, almost all of them imported. But the findings suggest the virus may occasionally be found inside U.S. borders, the CDC said.

The report describes the case of a Mexican-born woman who had lived in the border town of Brownsville for 16 years. In June 2005 she developed dengue and was treated in both Mexico and Texas.

A few months later, health officials in Mexico's Tamaulipas state, which borders that part of Texas, reported an outbreak of dengue fever.

The CDC and Mexican health authorities tested the blood of hundreds of residents on both sides of the border.

They found 1,200 Mexican cases of dengue-like fever, and 18 percent of these were dengue hemorrhagic fever -- the most dangerous form that includes bleeding.

"In Cameron County, Texas, where Brownsville is the county seat, (Texas health department officials) identified 24 additional cases of laboratory-confirmed dengue fever, including two additional cases of locally transmitted dengue and 22 cases associated with travel to Mexico," the CDC reported.

Blood tests of 141 local residents showed 51 had evidence of having been infected with dengue virus at some point and at least six had never left the United States, the CDC said.

"Early recognition and diagnosis of dengue hemorrhagic fever and careful fluid management can reduce the case fatality rate in cases with shock to less than 1 percent," the CDC said.

Dengue is diagnosed from symptoms such as fever and muscle ache, bleeding from the eyes or skin and certain blood tests. Globally, it infects 50 to 100 million people every year and 5 percent of those who get the hemorrhagic form die, usually from shock.

The Illegal Importing of Dengue Fever with Illegal Aliens.

Dixie

Great more third world dark ages disease and sicknesses!!!

Illegals bring in Chagas disease, drug resistent tuberculosis, leprsoy, hepatitis, and other diseases into this country, and now this! Yikes!

Hey, and guess what.

They are processing our poultry, our beef, our pork, preparing our food, caring for already sick and weakened people in the hospital and nursing homes, working in our schools with our kids.

Our children are cooped up in classrooms with them, sharing the bathroom, drinking fountains, desks, etc. That is the most horrifying thing of all. Innocent children being forced to possibly be exposed to these horrible diseases.

Think about that when you open that steak, that chicken, etc. Yes, it might be destroyed when it is cooked, but you have handled it before and it has contaminated your kitchen -

Why isn't this story front page news? And why does it seem that the CDC and other health advisors always "play down" these diseases like they are no big deal? This is a dangerous situation and we are being exposed to it.

Originally Posted by Dixie

The Illegal Importing of Dengue Fever with Illegal Aliens.

Dixie

A good way for terrorists coming over the border to start an epidemic.