Virginia confirms first locally acquired dengue case

(The Center Square) – Virginia health officials are monitoring for additional dengue cases after confirming the first documented infection acquired within the state.

Officials say there is no evidence the mosquito-borne virus is continuing to spread.

The Virginia Department of Health disclosed the case in a Tuesday letter to healthcare providers. The Northern Virginia resident had no known travel outside Virginia before becoming sick.

Health officials believe they know how the infection happened. The resident had been in close proximity to another Virginian who contracted dengue while traveling internationally and was diagnosed a couple of weeks earlier.

The Health Department said a local mosquito likely bit the person with the travel-related infection while that person was infectious and later transmitted the virus to the second resident.

“There is no evidence of continued transmission and no additional reports of locally acquired dengue cases at this time,” a statement from the Health Depart...