Dengue Fever

The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) continues to monitor dengue virus activity closely and will provide updated resources for clinicians and patients as necessary. Please check back frequently for any new information. 

On June 25, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory (CDC HAN) to notify healthcare providers, public health authorities, and the public about recent increased risk of dengue virus infections in the United States.

In 2024, countries in the Americas have reported a record-breaking number of dengue cases, exceeding the highest number ever recorded in a single year. From January 1 to June 24, 2024, countries in the Americas reported more than 9.7 million dengue cases, twice as many as in all of 2023 (4.6 million cases). In the United States, Puerto Rico has declared a public health emergency (1,498 cases), and a higher-than-expected number of dengue cases have been identified among US travelers (745 cases) from January 1 to June 24, 2024.

In the setting of increased global and domestic incidence of dengue, healthcare providers should take steps to:

• Promote mosquito bite prevention measures: Advise people living in or visiting areas with frequent or continuous dengue transmission to take steps to prevent mosquito bites.
• Maintain heightened suspicion for dengue: Be vigilant for dengue in patients with fever who have been in areas with frequent or continuous dengue transmission within 14 days before illness onset.
  • Note that dengue and Oropouche viruses can co-circulate and cause similar symptoms. Supportive treatment is recommended in both cases.
• Order appropriate diagnostic tests for acute dengue virus infection:
  • Perform both a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR] test and an IgM antibody test, OR
  • A non-structural protein 1 [NS1] antigen test and an IgM antibody test.
• Report dengue cases promptly: Ensure timely reporting of dengue cases to public health authorities.