Dengue fever spreading near Arizona border
Oct 21, 2014, 9:43 PM | Updated: 9:44 pm
Dengue fever continues to spread across Mexico and it’s reached the southern border.
“We’ve had five confirmed cases in the border region, bordering Yuma County,” said Jessica Rigler with Arizona Department of Health Services.
It’s a situation ADHS continues to monitor, the confirmed cases are located in San Luis, Rio Col., Sonora, which is approximately thirty miles from Yuma, Arizona.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, “The virus is a leading cause of illness and death in the tropics and subtropics. As many as 400 million people are infected yearly.”
Dengue is also referred to as “breakbone fever” because of the severe joint and muscle pain associated with the illness. Other symptoms include severe pain behind the eyes, fever, vomiting and rash. One percent of the people infected develop Dengue hemorrhagic fever, which can be deadly.