Officials: Town of Babylon Man Had Dengue Virus

Suffolk County health officials announced Wednesday that a Town of Babylon man was hospitalized in September "with symptoms consistent with dengue virus."

The 50-year-old has since fully recovered, but the case is significant in that it is the first case ever in New York State where the virus was contracted locally, officials said. 

The dengue virus is transmitted to humans by the bite of a mosquito and while there have been six cases in Suffolk this year where the virus was contracted by individuals while traveling in dengue endemic regions of the world, that was not the case for the Town of Babylon man (officials did not specify his specific hometown). 

“The exact route of transmission in this case is unknown,” Suffolk County Commissioner of Health Services James Tomarken said in a statement. “However, we have determined that this individual acquired dengue virus locally, as he had not traveled outside of the local metropolitan area during the incubation period.”

It is estimated that there are more than 100 million cases of dengue worldwide each year. Southern Florida, southern Texas, and Hawaii are the only areas in the United States where locally acquired dengue fever transmission has routinely occurred.  

Officials said the Town of Babylon man was likely infected locally with the virus when he bitten by a mosquito that had previously bitten an infected traveler. Both state and local health officials say that despite this isolated finding of locally acquired dengue virus in New York, they do not expect that dengue virus will become widespread in the region, as the temperate climate in New York does not lend itself to sustained transmission of the virus.

"Given the recent introduction of Aedes albopictus (the mosquito that transfers the virus) into New York State and the high level of travel in New York to areas of the world endemic for dengue, it is not surprising that a locally acquired case of dengue has been found in the state," State Health Commissioner Nirav Shah said.  "This finding emphasizes the need for physicians to be aware of signs and symptoms of diseases common in tropical countries, but may occasionally present themselves in New York.”

The principal symptoms of dengue fever are high fever, severe headache, severe pain behind the eyes, joint pain, muscle and bone pain, rash, and mild bleeding or bruising. The more severe form of the disease, Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF), can be fatal, and most commonly occurs when someone is infected with dengue for the second time. There is no immunization for dengue virus, and there is no specific treatment for a dengue infection. Individuals with symptoms are advised to consult their health care providers.

The best preventive measure for mosquito-borne diseases is to reduce mosquito breeding areas around homes, primarily artificial containers that hold water, officials said. Proper application of mosquito repellents containing DEET decreases the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes.