The other 11 persons became infected during visits to countries where dengue is epidemic. The confirmation was based on clinical symptoms and on blood tests performed by the TDH laboratory in Austin.
Dengue fever is a severe flu-like illness caused by a virus which is spread to humans by mosquitoes.
The Hidalgo County woman experienced fever, headache, loss of appetite, back pain and joint pain. She has recovered. Other dengue symptoms can include muscle pain, nausea, vomiting and a rash which can appear three to four days after onset of the fever. A dengue epidemic is occurring in Latin American and Caribbean countries where more than 140,000 cases have been reported. Some 900 cases have been reported in Reynosa, across the Texas-Mexico border from Hidalgo County.