A Southern mom is ringing the alarm on possible Dengue outbreaks after she suspects her kid was infected. And she might have a valid point, according to doctors.
Dengue is a viral disease spread to people through mosquito bites. According to data dating back to 2010, Dengue cases in the U.S. have remained relatively low in the last decade (remaining at 1,000 or less from 2010-2021 except for one year, but there’s been a recent uptick, causing some concern among scientists and doctors.
Symptoms of Dengue fever usually begin two weeks after being bitten by an infected mosquito and typically last two to seven days. Symptoms include vomiting, nausea, and aches and pains (eye pain, typically behind the eyes, muscle, joint, or bone pain), according to the Centers for Disease Control.
In severe cases, and if left untreated, Dengue can lead to internal bleeding, sudden drop in blood pressure, and death, according to the Mayo Clinic.
In the United States, kids between the ages of nine and 16 are recommended to get the Dengue vaccine.
A parent warns of the risks of going without bug spray
In a viral video nearing two million views, Cree Lynn (@creelynn4) said she thinks her son got infected with Dengue fever and urged viewers to put in bug spray to prevent from getting it too.
“I took him to the doctor, and everybody ignored me. Nobody listened to me,” Cree Lynn says.
She explains that her son was having headaches, a red rash on his neck and chest, bulging eyes, fever, and body pain for a week.
“Man, the body pains. He was screaming out in excruciating pain,” Cree Lynn says.
They tested him and he didn’t have the flu or COVID. After doing some research online, Cree Lynn came across Dengue fever, but she dismissed it since they hadn’t had any cases in the area.
“My son had it and my doctor ignored it,” Cree Lynn said. “…I can’t stand the thought of someone losing their child over a little bitty bug.”
It’s unclear is her child was able to get tested for Dengue fever or if she’s making an educated guess based on his symptoms and recent news alerts.
Ever since he was sick (he’s now recovered), Cree Lynn says she’s been adamant that anyone who takes care of her kids or has them outdoors put bug spray on them.
Are Dengue fever cases in the U.S. growing?
“I think a lot of clinicians, when they may see a patient come in with a fever and a rash, they don’t think about the possibility of Dengue,” Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, told U.S. News.
Dengue cases have been on the rise globally, with cases in the Americas (North, Central, and South America) more than doubling compared to last year. In 2023, there were 4.6. million cases in the Americas, while there are 9.7 million this year as of June 24, U.S. News reported.
Within the United States and its territories, there are 2,300 reported Dengue fever cases as of July 2, according to the CDC. About 65% of those cases are in Puerto Rico, with the other large concentration being in Florida. But cases have now been reported in South Carolina and North Carolina.
“But we’re not really ready. With the exception of a few counties, we’re not doing the regular surveillance that we need to do,” Hotez told U.S. News.
He added that to reduce the risk of spread on the public health level, local governments need to make diagnostic testing more accessible, raise awareness among healthcare providers, and provide specialty training.
@creelynn4 #fypviralシ #mosquito #dengue #denguefeveroutbreak ♬ original sound – cree
People in Cree Lynn’s comments section had a lot to say.
“AVON SKIN SO SOFT WORKS 10000000% try to get the original scent but any work !!!!!” a person recommended.
“This why I love Tik tok; not only did I learn about dengue fever but also Avon skin so soft is a solution to prevent bites,” another chimed in.
“My brother died from a masquito bite 25 years ago. He was only 5. The importance of bug spray is so real, please use it!” a commenter shared.
The Daily Dot reached out to Cree Lynn for comment via Instagram and TikTok direct message.
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