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A case of locally acquired dengue fever was confirmed in Palm Beach County

FILE - This 2003 photo provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a female Aedes albopictus mosquito acquiring a blood meal from a human host. Dengue, a tropical illness caused by a virus, is spread by Aedes mosquitos, a type of warm weather insect that is expanding its geographic reach because of climate change, experts say.
James Gathany
/
CDC
Dengue viruses are spread to humans through the bites of infected female Aedes mosquitoes. This image shows a female Aedes albopictus acquiring a blood meal from a human host.

The state health department says it is treating the affected area for mosquitoes, though it did not specify where in the county the case was reported.

The Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County has confirmed one case of locally acquired dengue fever.

Dengue viruses are spread to humans through the bites of infected female Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.

The health department said it is treating the affected area, though it did not specify where in the county the case was reported.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida has 23 locally acquired cases of the mosquito-borne illness, with 15 in Miami-Dade and 1 to 4 cases in Monroe County, where the total is not clear. 

Dengue can present as a flulike illness with severe muscle aches, joint pain, fever and sometimes a rash, according to the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County.

Health experts said it's important to use repellent and dump standing water where mosquitoes breed. When outside, the health department recommends covering up with socks, shoes and long-sleeve shirts.

Florida Department of Health tips on how to combat Dengue.
Florida Department of Health tips on how to combat Dengue.

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During her time at Florida International University, where she recently graduated from with a Bachelors in Journalism, Sherrilyn Cabrera interned for the South Florida News Service - a digital journalism platform where stories are written, shot and edited by FIU students. As part of her senior project, she reported on the influx of Puerto Ricans who migrated to Florida after Hurricane Maria, and the impact it could have had on the November 2018 midterm elections.