In the last few years, after the West Nile virus, people have become aware that mosquitoes are more than just irritating, buzzing pests. Mosquito repellents have become a routine in most houses and we are used to the alerts given out by the Health Department about positive West Nile mosquito pools.

Recently a different mosquito-borne virus, dengue fever, is increasing health concerns among the US public health officials due to the fact that dengue fever is on a rise for the first time in 60 years.

Dengue fever is sometimes referred to as break-bone fever because of the severe bone and joint pain and headache accompanied with very high fever.

At least 24 new cases have been reported this month by the Florida Department of Health of people who have not traveled outside the United States. This is different from previous cases because earlier dengue fever was reported in people who acquired the disease while traveling in another country.

Dengue fever is presently the number 1 mosquito-borne disease causing 100 million human cases on an average worldwide annually.