Unfortunately, no.

Snowbirds, pay attention.

When most of us hear the word dengue, we think of some far-off tropical country, not Florida. But dengue has made its way into the Sunshine State, where the mosquitoes capable of transmitting the virus are already residents.

And this isn't just another mosquito bite that leaves you scratching for a day or two. Dengue has been called “breakbone fever” because the muscle and joint pain can be so severe that people describe it as feeling as though every bone in their body is breaking.

And sometimes, dengue can become much more serious—what was once called  dengue hemorrhagic fever is now generally classified as severe dengue.

So how did a tropical disease become a Florida story?

That's where the mosquito—and the traveler—enter the picture...

Dengue fever has earned the nickname “breakbone fever” because the muscle, joint and bone pain can be excruciating. For most people, dengue is a miserable illness followed by recovery. But occasionally, dengue can take a much more dangerous turn.

What was once commonly called dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is now generally included under the term severe dengue. It is a medical emergency that can cause serious bleeding, shock, fluid accumulation and damage to major organs.

The dangerous part may begin when the fever goes away

This is one of the most important things to understand about dengue.

A person may have several days of high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, nausea, and those characteristic muscle and joint aches. Then, around the third to seventh day, the fever may suddenly come down.

You might think: “I'm getting better.”

Not necessarily.

For some patients, this is when the critical phase begins. The fall in temperature can occur at approximately the same time that blood vessels begin leaking plasma into surrounding tissues. This can cause a dangerous drop in circulating blood volume and, in severe cases, shock.

What are the warning signs?

Anyone with suspected dengue should pay particular attention to:

• Severe abdominal pain or tenderness
• Persistent or repeated vomiting
• Bleeding from the nose or gums
• Vomiting blood
• Blood in the stool
• Rapid breathing
• Extreme weakness
• Restlessness or unusual fatigue
• Pale, cold skin
• Excessive thirst

These warning signs can develop quickly, sometimes within hours. Severe dengue requires immediate medical attention and usually hospitalization.

How is severe dengue treated?

Here is something that may surprise people: there is no specific antiviral drug that cures dengue.

Treatment is primarily supportive care—keeping the patient alive and stable while the body's immune system fights the virus.

For mild dengue, treatment generally consists of rest, adequate fluids, and medication to control fever and pain. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) may be used.

But there is an important warning:

Aspirin and ibuprofen should be avoided when dengue is suspected.

These medications can increase the risk of bleeding. The World Health Organization and CDC recommend acetaminophen rather than aspirin or NSAIDs such as ibuprofen during acute dengue illness.

Fluids can be life-saving

In severe dengue, one of the major problems can be plasma leakage from blood vessels. The patient can lose enough circulating fluid to develop dangerously low blood pressure and shock.

Doctors carefully administer intravenous fluids, usually isotonic crystalloid solutions, while closely monitoring the patient's blood pressure, pulse, breathing, urine output, blood counts and other laboratory measurements.

But this is not simply a matter of giving someone as much fluid as possible. Too much fluid can also be dangerous, particularly when the leakage begins to resolve. That is why severe dengue requires careful monitoring by medical professionals.

What about bleeding?

Severe dengue can cause significant bleeding. In patients with established severe bleeding, doctors may need to provide blood transfusions and other hospital-based supportive treatment.

The goal is to maintain adequate circulation, control bleeding, protect vital organs and prevent shock.

Why does dengue become severe?

One of the intriguing aspects of dengue is that there are four dengue virus types, or serotypes.

A person who has had dengue once develops long-term protection against that particular serotype. However, infection with another serotype can occur later.

A second dengue infection can increase the risk of severe dengue, although not everyone who gets dengue a second time will develop severe disease.

Florida should pay attention

For Floridians, dengue is not simply a tropical disease that happens somewhere else.

The mosquitoes capable of transmitting dengue—particularly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus—are present in Florida. A traveler can become infected elsewhere, return home while carrying the virus, and then be bitten by a local mosquito. That mosquito can subsequently transmit dengue to another person.

That is why mosquito control is so important.

And remember the most important warning about dengue:

When the fever breaks, don't automatically assume the danger has broken with it.

If severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding, extreme weakness, rapid breathing, or other warning signs appear as the fever disappears, seek emergency medical care immediately.

With early recognition and proper hospital treatment, the chance of surviving severe dengue is dramatically improved. WHO reports that with appropriate clinical management, fatality from severe dengue can be reduced to below 1 percent.