Picture of the Aedes albopictus (tiger mosquitoe) mosquito that is a carrier of dengue fever and chikungunya. sucking bloodPhoto: RilakkuMaxx / iStock / Getty Images
(Tampa, FL) - The Florida Department of Health is investigating the death of a Hillsborough County resident potentially from dengue fever. The family of the active and healthy Tampa woman says she died on her 80th birthday after contracting the mosquito-borne virus locally for a second time. FIU infectious diseases expert Dr. Aileen Marty says back-to-back infections can potentially lead to severe disease.
"Like all diseases it does depend on your age and underlying conditions. But, in general death from dengue is not the norm. If there's good treatment involved, we can keep the death rate under 10%," says Dr. Marty.
She says mild flu-like symptoms, start to show up 7-to 10 days after the offending mosquito bite.
"Then we have to see whether the person, after that stage, is going to go into severe dengue which can lead to hospitalization and become a hemorrhagic type of disease."
Hillsborough County has 59 confirmed cases of locally-acquired dengue, far more than any other Florida county.
County Mosquito Management Services is increasing mosquito spraying in several Tampa Bay communities as locally acquired dengue cases continue to rise.
County officials are also urging residents to use repellent with DEET.