
By County of San Diego News Center
San Diego, CA–County Public Health is investigating the first-ever case of locally acquired dengue. The Escondido resident who became sick with dengue did not travel to an area where the mosquito-transmitted illness is common. No additional locally acquired cases have been identified at this time.
To protect the public’s health and keep mosquitoes from potentially spreading the dengue virus, County Vector Control began spraying this weekend for mosquitos at about 170 homes in Escondido. Treatments started on Friday and will continue through Thursday, Oct. 10.
Dengue is a tropical viral disease not commonly found in the United States. Since the invasive Aedes mosquitoes were first detected in San Diego County in 2014, there have been no locally acquired cases of dengue until now.
People who travel to countries where dengue is common can get infected with dengue through mosquito bites. So far this year, there have been 49 cases of travel-related dengue in San Diego County.
“While the risk of widespread transmission of dengue remains low in San Diego County, County Public Health and Vector Control are working closely to respond quickly to prevent mosquitoes from spreading the illness in this area,” said Dr. Ankita Kadakia, County interim public health officer.
The arrival of locally acquired dengue in San Diego County is not a surprise. Los Angeles County recently reported five cases of locally contracted dengue this year. Long Beach and Pasadena had their first cases of locally acquired dengue in late 2023.
Vector Control did similar treatments in Oceanside in September and the Mount Hope area of San Diego in July of this year. Both of those treatments were initiated as a precaution to prevent the potential local spread of dengue due to travel-associated dengue cases and the high numbers of Aedes mosquitos in the neighborhoods.
Dengue is spread by mosquitoes when a mosquito bites an infected person and then feeds on another person.
It can take four to seven days for someone bitten by a mosquito infected with dengue to start feeling symptoms. Dengue can be determined by a blood test that can be discussed with a healthcare provider.
The most common symptoms are fever, chills, and any of the following: aches and pains (eye pain, muscle, joint or bone pain), nausea, vomiting, and rash.
Symptoms can be moderate and last two to seven days. Most people recover after about a week. However, symptoms can also become severe, be deadly, include shock and respiratory distress, and can require hospitalization. There are no specific medicines to treat dengue.