The Virginia Department of Health has confirmed a locally acquired case of dengue — the first documented instance of its kind in the Commonwealth.

In a letter to colleagues, State Health Commissioner Cameron Webb, MD, said VDH is working with the Fairfax and Loudoun County Health Departments to investigate the case, which involves a “Northern Virginia resident.”

Dengue is typically linked to travel to regions where the virus is common. In this case, the infected person had not traveled outside Virginia before becoming ill.

Instead, the individual had been near another Virginian who recently returned from international travel and was diagnosed with dengue a couple of weeks earlier.

Dengue spreads via infected mosquitoes. Webb said it’s believed a local mosquito likely bit the person who became infected abroad while that person was still infectious, then later bit and infected the Virginian who hadn’t traveled.

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Currently, there is no sign of ongoing spread, and the risk of acquiring dengue in Virginia remains low, Webb’s letter states.

However, health authorities are actively monitoring for additional cases and tracking mosquito activity.

VDH notes that while most U.S. dengue cases stem from international travel, the virus is in rare instances spread in laboratory or healthcare settings, including blood transfusions, organ transplants, or needlestick injuries.

For more information on dengue, including symptoms and prevention, visit the VDH Dengue information page.

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