Top in ID: CDC issues alert for dengue infection; influenza vaccine for older adults

The CDC issued a health alert in June regarding the increased risk for dengue infection in the U.S., with suspected cases having more than doubled compared with the same time period from the previous year.

As of July 24, the CDC reported 2,869 cases of dengue across 48 U.S. jurisdictions, with 1,900 occurring in Puerto Rico. Florida is the only U.S. state to report local infections this year. Healio spoke with Lyle Petersen, MD, MPH, director of the Division of Vector-Borne Diseases at the CDC and Healio | Infectious Disease News Editorial Board Member to learn more about the threat of dengue, including the impact of climate change and how clinicians are testing for infection.

“More than 10 million dengue cases have been reported in the Americas so far this year, a figure more than twice that reported in all of 2023, which by itself was a record year,” Petersen told Healio. “In light of the increased global and domestic incidence of dengue, clinicians should suspect dengue in febrile patients who have returned from an area where dengue transmission is endemic or ongoing within 14 days before clinical onset.”

It was the top story in infectious disease last week.

Another top story discussed the importance of annual flu vaccinations, particularly enhanced vaccines, for people aged 65 years and older, who account for a majority of influenza-related deaths and hospitalizations.

Read these and more top stories in infectious disease below:

Q&A: CDC issues warning amid surge in dengue virus

In March, Puerto Rico declared a public health emergency after recording 549 cases of dengue virus since the start of 2024. The number rose to more than 1,900 cases as of July 24, according to the CDC. Read more.

Optimizing flu protection in older adults: Enhanced vs. standard-dose vaccines

Influenza is responsible for significant mortality and hospitalization rates in the United States, ranging from 4,900 to 51,000 deaths and 100,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations annually between 2010 and 2023, according to the CDC. Read more.

ID add-on code proposed in new CMS fee schedule

CMS included a new infectious disease consult add-on code as part of its proposed new fee schedule. The changecould help improve compensation for ID clinicians, according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Read more.

Daily doxycycline shows promise against STIs in small studies

In June, the CDC began recommending doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis — or doxy-PEP, as it is commonly known — as a prevention strategy for STIs in certain high-risk populations. Read more.

WHO launches effort to develop mRNA vaccine against bird flu

WHO announced a project to speed development of a messenger RNA vaccine against highly pathogenic avian influenza in humans. Read more.