Till a few years ago, dengue was unheard of in the United States, but not anymore. The mosquito-borne disease, also known as break-bone fever is usually common in tropical climates around the world, affecting nearly half of the global population. But outbreaks have been infrequent in colder climates – until now. So far, since January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported more than 2,500 cases of dengue, with the highest concentrations occurring in Puerto Rico, Florida, New York, and California.

According to experts, you can get dengue fever from the bite of a mosquito carrying one of four types of dengue virus – known as DENV. It is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also carries Zika virus and chikungunya. While dengue is not contagious from one person to another but can be passed from a pregnant woman to her child.

Doctors say the virus usually takes four to ten days to incubate and once the symptoms begin, you may have high fever along with painful rashes along with severe pain in your muscles and bones. Statistics say nearly 400 million people get infected with dengue each year, but almost 80 per cent have no symptoms. Unfortunately, there is no treatment for dengue other than supportive care like taking plenty of rest and drinking fluids.

According to the CDC, which tracks the number of confirmed cases of dengue fever by county, it is important to undergo blood tests to confirm if you have dengue, and if you feel any symptoms. Doctors say if you are living in warmer areas and climate or a travel hub like Miami, you can be at a high risk for the disease.

CDC says so far, Miami-Dade County in Florida has the highest number of cases in the continental U.S., with Suffolk County, New York, and Broward County, Florida, trailing. There have been a lot more cases in the US this year, but this increase, experts say, reflects the global spread of the virus.

To avoid the spread of dengue, doctors recommend getting vaccinated as QDenga has been approved by The European Medicines Agency for adults, adolescents, and children four years or older. However, the vaccine has not been approved in the US.

A different vaccine, Dengvaxia is approved by the FDA for use in children and adolescents between the ages of 9-16 years who have had a previously confirmed infection and live in endemic areas. According to doctors, several other vaccines are also in development that may one day be available more widely to help curb the spread of the disease.

However, the most effective way to prevent dengue fever is by: