The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) recently published a report titled “Travel-Associated Dengue Cases — United States, 2010–2021.” The authors explained that “a total of 7,528 confirmed or probable travel-associated dengue cases were reported to ArboNET” from 2010-21. “Among these, 1,474 (20 percent) occurred in 2019, representing a 168 percent increase over the annual average of 550 cases during 2010–2018 and 2020–2021, and a 61 percent increase over the 913 cases reported in 2016, the year with the second highest number of cases. The lowest annual number of cases reported (205) was in 2021, when travel patterns were substantially altered because of the COVID-19 pandemic.” The report noted that “[d]uring the entire period, most cases (90 percent) were associated with travel outside U.S. states or territories. The most frequently visited region among travel-associated cases in 2019 was the Caribbean (39 percent), followed by Asia (27 percent) and North America (14 percent)…Travelers returning from the top 10 countries of acquisition during 2010–2021 accounted for more than two thirds (69 percent) of cases reporting an international travel history.” Dengue is “the leading cause” of arboviral disease globally and can lead to death without treatment. Currently, “dengue vaccine is recommended for routine use in children and adolescents aged 9–16 years with laboratory-confirmed previous dengue virus infection who live in areas of the U.S. where dengue is endemic. [V]accination is not recommended for travelers. Dengue [can be] prevented while traveling by taking measures to prevent mosquito bites, including using Environmental Protection Agency–registered insect repellent, wearing protective clothing, and staying in lodging that has air conditioning or window screens.”
Citation: Wong, J., Rivera, A., Volkman, H. “Travel- associated dengue cases — United States, 2010–2021.” MMWR. 2023.