In 1995, dengue outbreaks were reported in many countries in Central America, in the Caribbean region, and in Mexico. As stated by the Pan American Organization in 1995, approximately 240,000 cases of dengue were reported in Central and South America. Most of the suspected cases reported from Texas resulted from intensified surveillance by the Texas Department of Health because of an epidemic of dengue in the adjoining state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. During periods of intense dengue activity in contiguous Mexico, indigenous dengue can occur in adjacent areas of South Texas. Although dengue fever is not endemic in the US, imported cases of infected US residents returning from travel to endemic areas are diagnosed each year and additional cases probably are undetected.
Dengue fever is an acute viral illness with severe flu-like symptoms often accompanied by a rash.
It is characterized by the rapid development of a fever that may last from five to seven days and with a rash that develops on the feet or legs three to four days after the beginning of the fever. The more severe forms of dengue fever are called dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. The fatality rate for persons with untreated dengue hemorrhagic fever can be as high as 50 percent of cases. The disease usually occurs during the rainy seasons in areas with high numbers of infected mosquitoes. If the Aedes aegypti mosquito bites a person infected with dengue, it can then transmit the disease to the other humans.