California officials confirm 2 cases of dengue, a mosquito-borne illness rarely transmitted in US

Public health officials say two people in Southern California people have come down with dengue fever without traveling outside the United States, where the mosquito-borne illness is rare. Authorities say a Pasadena resident was confirmed last month as the first domestically contracted case in the state. A second case in Long Beach was announced Wednesday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says dengue is endemic in many countries, with up to 400 million infections each year and 40,000 deaths. But locally acquired dengue is rare in the U.S. and its territories. Fewer than 600 cases have been reported this year, including more than 500 in Puerto Rico and about 60 in Florida. Texas had one.