The rise and fall

Here’s a commentary about vector-borne disease threats in the Gulf Coast by some big names in the infectious disease biz, worth taking a read to see what you think. It also gives a nice, concise summary of the rise and fall dengue issue in Gulf Coast states over the last century or so.

If you enjoyed hearing Brettania’s live meeting, you also may enjoy this update on the Cryptococcus gattii outbreak in the Pacific northwest.

Just for fun, here are some old-timey infectious disease PSA’s.  The first 2 are British, the second 2 are American.

Don’t Spread Germs (1948)

Coughs and Sneezes (1945)

Coughs and Sneezes Song

Preventing the Spread of Disease (1940) (this one is long, but interesting – especially the emphasis on milk-borne disease)

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Dengue in the US

Every year a few dozen cases of dengue are imported into the US from travelers. Although dengue is not endemic in the US, enough imported cases occur that last year dengue was put on the list of nationally notifiable diseases (although it was already reportable in 26 states).

CDC/Gathany. Aedes aegypti mosquito. Notice the striped legs and hunched position

Every once in a while, an outbreak of dengue does occur in the US, including Florida and the Texas border with Mexico. Last Friday’s issue of the MMWR presents a few case of native dengue acquisition in Florida and, of all places, Rochester. Check out the brief write-up: Locally-Acquired Dengue – Key West, Florida, 2009-2010.

Since I was a sophomore in college sitting in virology class (which, trust me, was a while ago), I have heard people get excited about the possibility of dengue transmission becoming sustained in the US. The ingredients are all here: burgeoning epidemics of dengue world wide, with the greatest increases in recent years in the Americas and the Caribbean; warm Southern climates; and that infamous Tiger mosquito, who is just as happy to breed in an uncovered water barrel as an abandoned tire or a McDonald’s cup on the side of the road. Dengue epidemics are famously huge, with numbers of people affected – especially in susceptible populations – reaching the tens of thousands. For more on dengue see the disease of the week.

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