Viral Infection on the Rise in Florida (and It’s Not COVID)

Every day, almost 160,000 people visit the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Add in a holiday, and that number shoots up. That’s a lot of people from all around the world getting up in each other’s personal space. It’s no surprise that, if someone is sick and visits the theme parks, they can get many other people sick. That’s one of the reasons Disney theme parks had to be so careful while dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic — the Parks enforced mask guidelines, social distancing, and capacity limits.

Thankfully, the height of COVID is in the rearview mirror, but another disease is on the rise in the Sunshine State. According to a new report, cases of Dengue Fever have increased throughout the state. In the last two weeks alone, there were nearly 50 newly reported cases. This makes Florida the state most impacted by this virus.

Thankfully, there are ways guests can protect themselves.

What Is Dengue Fever?

Dengue Fever, also known as break-bone fever, is a virus that is spread via mosquito bites. Fortunately, the Dengue virus cannot be passed from person to person, so if a guest has been diagnosed, they don’t have to worry about getting others sick. Also, on the positive side, many people do not have any symptoms of the mosquito-borne illness.

The symptoms of this virus are:

• high fever (40°C/104°F)
• severe headache
• pain behind the eyes
• muscle and joint pains
• nausea
• vomiting
• swollen glands
• rash

Dengue Fever is not the first virus to hit Florida harder than other states. In early August, cases of Leprosy were also on the rise, with Central Florida being heavily affected. But unlike Dengue Fever, Leprosy is a contagious disease.

Dengue Fever is not the only virus that is spread by mosquitos. Mosquitos can also carry West Nile Virus, Malaria, Zika, and Yellow Fever.

So, if you are headed to The Most Magical Place on Earth, be sure to pack your bug spray. Disney does what it can to keep the bugs at bay, but there is only so much they can do. If you are on your trip, and you start to feel sick, it is best to either stay in your hotel room, or make sure you wear a mask and sanitize on a regular basis.

Dengue Fever may not be contagious, but there are plenty of other bugs that are. You don’t want to be the reason someone is unable to enjoy their vacation because they got sick.