Florida’s Tropical Update

Eighty species of mosquitoes are found in Florida—more than any other state in the nation—and 13 species carry diseases that a ect humans. Here are the facts on seven tropical diseases that have been found in the state.

Chikungunya Fever

VECTOR: Day-feeding Aedes aegypti (A. aegypti) and Aedes albopictus (A. albopictus) mosquitoes found statewide

SYMPTOMS: High fever, rash, severe joint pain and (less likely) headache, diarrhea, vomiting, conjunctivitis and fatigue

INCUBATION PERIOD: Three to seven days; more than 70 percent of persons infected will exhibit symptoms

VACCINE: None available

CASE FATALITY RATE: Less than 1 in 1,000 people

CASES IN FLORIDA TO DATE: From 2014-2016, there have been 545 cases of CHIK diagnosed in the state with 12 of those being locally acquired (the only locally acquired instances of CHIK in the United States).

West Nile Virus

VECTOR: Night-feeding Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes found statewide

SYMPTOMS: Very similar to flu; headache, fever, fatigue, body aches, weakness and sometimes a rash. In a small percentage of cases persons infected may su er from temporary paralysis. In less than 1 percent of cases, WNV can lead to severe illness, which includes encephalitis, meningitis, meningoencephalitis or poliomyelitis.

INCUBATION PERIOD: Two to 15 days and only 20 percent of persons infected will exhibit symptoms

VACCINE: None available

CASE FATALITY RATE: One in 150 persons infected progress to severe illness with 3-15 percent of those persons succumbing to the virus.

CASES IN FLORIDA TO DATE: Since 2001, there have been 352 cases resulting in one death. There was one case in Marion County in 2015.

Zika Virus

VECTOR: Day-feeding A. aegypti and A. albopictus mosquitoes; can be sexually transmitted through human semen; can be transmitted through blood via transfusion

SYMPTOMS: Fever, muscle and joint pain, rash, headache, vomiting and conjunctivitis. Only one in five people infected exhibit symptoms.

INCUBATION PERIOD: Unknown; presumably several days

VACCINE: None available

CASE FATALITY RATE: In healthy adults this is a very mild disease but has been linked to birth defects in the children of women infected while pregnant. It has also been linked to instances of Guillain-Barre syndrome in persons of all ages and genders.

CASES IN FLORIDA TO DATE: 102 travel-related cases statewide with one case of sexually transmitted Zika reported in Polk County in March.

Editor's Note: Numbers were current as of press time. Visit floridahealth.gov or cdc.gov/zika for upto-date information. Updates by these agencies are provided weekly.

St. Louis Encephalitis

VECTOR: Night-feeding Culex species mosquitoes found statewide

SYMPTOMS: Fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and fatigue and (in severe cases) sti neck, seizures and coma

INCUBATION PERIOD: Five to 15 days with only a small percentage of infected persons exhibiting symptoms

VACCINE: None available

CASE FATALITY RATE: Three to 30 percent in severe cases

CASES IN FLORIDA TO DATE: More than 375 cases reported historically but only two in 2014 and none in the last year.

Dengue Fever

VECTOR: Day-feeding A. aegypti and A. albopictus mosquitoes.

SYMPTOMS: Sudden fever, headache, rash, muscle and joint pain and vomiting. Five percent of those infected progress to severe illness with associated fluid retention, internal bleeding and possible organ failure.

INCUBATION PERIOD: Three to 14 days with symptoms appearing in 20 percent of those infected

VACCINE: None available

CASE FATALITY RATE: Slightly less than one in 100 cases

CASES IN FLORIDA TO DATE: One case in 2015, none so far this year. There were 13 cases reported in Key West in 2009-2010.

Eastern Equine Encephalitis

VECTOR: Aedes vexans and Coquillettidia perturbans mosquitoes found statewide

SYMPTOMS: Sudden-onset fever, chills, fatigue and muscle and joint pain and (in severe cases) irritability, vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite, seizures and coma

INCUBATION PERIOD: Four to 10 days

VACCINE: None available for humans but one is available for horses

CASE FATALITY RATE: 33 percent

CASES IN FLORIDA TO DATE: Since 2004, there have been 15 cases, some locally.

Malaria

VECTOR: Dusk- or night-feeding Anopheles species found statewide

SYMPTOMS: Fever, headache, vomiting and fatigue and (in severe cases) retinal damage, jaundice, anemia, respiratory distress, seizures and coma

INCUBATION PERIOD: Eight to 25 days

VACCINE: Several prophylactic medications are available for travelers, but no vaccine is available.

CASE FATALITY RATE: 430,000 people died worldwide in 2015 with no deaths reported in the United States

CASES IN FLORIDA TO DATE: One case in Gulf County in 1990 related to mosquito bite, two cases of unknown origin in 1996 along with eight cases in 2003 in Palm Beach County and one case of unknown origin in 2010 in Duval County