As winter looms and recent reports indicate an uptick in dengue fever cases in Miami and greater Dade County, Florida, people here in the states must start thinking about mosquito-borne illnesses. There have also been cases in California and Texas, which some scientists are attributing to climate change. No longer are we be able to ignore reports of dengue in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica, just to name a few Caribbean current hot spots, and wave it off as an “over-there problem.”

This news is being reported as December, January, and February approach—peak time for tourist travel to the Caribbean, as folks in the global North seek to trade that local cold for a brief escape to a beachy paradise. And as the Associate Press notes, “the U.S. market drove more than 50% of arrivals to the region last year with 14.6 million U.S. tourists visiting.”

If you are planning a cruise, a resort stay, or you are visiting family in the Caribbean, you need to be aware of what’s happening and you need to take precautions. If you have family or friends in the affected areas, do make sure they have the necessary information on both precautions and treatment.

RELATED STORY:  Dengue Fever in Florida. Locally transmitted.

Caribbean Matters is a weekly series from Daily Kos. If you are unfamiliar with the region, check out Caribbean Matters: Getting to know the countries of the Caribbean.