1 month ago
Health officials successful Puerto Rico person declared an pandemic after an alarming surge of cases of 'bone-breaking' disease.
The US territory has recorded astatine slightest 549 cases of dengue fever this year, and much than 340 person been hospitalized.
The wellness section warned that this is simply a 140 percent spike from this clip past twelvemonth and astir half of those reported for each of 2023.
More than 40 percent of nan cases Puerto Rico's dengue cases person been concentrated successful nan superior of San Juan, which has astir 350,000 residents.
The pandemic comes amid ferocious outbreaks successful South American countries for illustration Brazil, Peru, Paraguay, and Argentina, pinch officials successful Brazil likening it to nan darkest days of Covid.
Health officials person not released recreation guidance, though nan surge does travel amid highest tourer season in Puerto Rico.
The CDC's latest information connected Puerto Rico only goes to 2016, but wellness officials person announced that nan territory has seen 549 cases of dengue this year
The pandemic comes amid highest tourism season, which runs from December done April
Epidemiologists blasted the world emergence successful temperatures, which allows nan mosquito which carries nan microorganism to unrecorded longer and thrive crossed a wider swathe of territory.
Puerto Rico Health Secretary Carlos Mellado Lopez wrote connected X, formerly known arsenic Twitter: 'The summation successful dengue cases requires that each components of nine subordinate forces successful bid to forestall nan contagion and dispersed of this virus, which is why we telephone for prevention.'
In 2023, nan territory reported 1,293 cases of dengue fever, whereas 2024 unsocial has already seen 42 percent of that number.
Florida has seen 2 cases of section transmission this year, meaning that patients caught nan illness without walking extracurricular of nan country. No different states person identified cases.
Last year, nan Sunshine State identified 601 travel-associated and 61 locally acquired cases of dengue, according to nan CDC.
The supra representation shows states and territories successful nan US that person reported locally acquired and travel-acquired cases of dengue fever this year
Florida is nan only authorities to study dengue cases truthful acold this twelvemonth successful nan US, though nan infetions are becoming much common
Dengue, nicknamed nan ‘bone-breaking disease’ for causing associated and musculus symptom truthful terrible that it feels arsenic if nan bones are breaking, is simply a microorganism that typically runs its people and resolves.
But successful arsenic galore 1 successful 20 cases it tin lead to bleeding and organ failure.
It astir commonly causes a scope of flu-like symptoms specified arsenic a fever, headache, pain, nausea, swelling, and a rash, for 1 to 2 weeks but it tin create into a terrible and deadly infection.
Brazil has recorded much than 1.5 cardinal cases and 390 deaths owed to nan illness this twelvemonth alone, accelerated approaching nan 1.6 cardinal full cases confirmed successful each of 2023.
The business has go truthful dire that moreover shelter hospitals erected successful Brasilia and different cities astatine strategical points to triage patients pinch nan virus.
Peru is seeing a likewise ample outbreak, pinch 32 deaths and 31,000 infections successful nan first 2 months of 2024 alone, an increase of 97 percent complete this aforesaid clip play past year.
Paraguay and Argentina person recorded much than 5 times nan emblematic number of cases truthful acold this year, pinch more than 150,000 and 57,000 cases, respectively.
The outbreaks successful South America, which is presently experiencing nan extremity of its summertime season, could beryllium a bellwether for what mightiness travel successful nan bluish hemisphere.
Dengue spreads via infected Aedes aegypti mosquitos, which thrive successful tropical, subtropical, and temperate climates.
The illness past travels to humor cells.
Warmer temperatures complete longer lukewarm seasons mean mosquitoes tin unrecorded longer, moreover successful conscionable a fewer days, which drives up cases.
This had led experts to blasted rising world temperatures for outbreaks.
Though location are nary recreation advisories, nan pandemic could besides wreak havoc Puerto Rico's tourism industry.
In 2023, nan territory took successful an all-time precocious successful tourism revenue, reaching $9.8 billion, according to Discover Puerto Rico.
This includes much than 6.1 cardinal passengers landing astatine nan Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, a 18.6 percent summation from nan twelvemonth before.
The CDC has recovered that arsenic galore arsenic 90 percent of dengue fever cases successful nan US are acquired from travel.
