Los Angeles Confirms 4th Locally Acquired Dengue Case in 2024

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is investigating another case of locally acquired Dengue in a Panorama City resident. The person had no history of travel to areas where Dengue is endemic.

This case of local transmission is not related to the cluster of 3 cases in the City of Baldwin Park on September 18, 2024.

About 55 miles are separating these cities.

Long Beach and Pasadena previously confirmed cases of locally acquired Dengue in fall 2023.

Although Aedes mosquitoes are common in LA County and can spread the dengue virus, almost all previously reported dengue cases in LA County have been associated with travel to a country where Dengue is endemic.

“We are seeing the local dengue transmission unprecedented in Los Angeles County. Preventing mosquito bites and mosquito breeding is the best way to stop the ongoing local transmission of Dengue,” said Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County Health Officer, in a press release.

As of September 30, 2024, Public Health has reported four cases of locally acquired Dengue. These local transmission cases are extremely rare in LA County, and residents are urged to take proactive steps to prevent mosquito breeding and bites.

The U.S. CDC reported that 50 jurisdictions, led by Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Puerto Rico, had reported over 5,300 dengue cases this year.