OAN’s James Meyers
3:20 PM -Thursday, March 28, 2024
Puerto Rico has declared a public health emergency due to the increase in the number of dengue cases.
Puerto Rico Secretary of Health Carlos Mellado made the announcement this week and said the health department has registered 549 cases of dengue so far in 2024, far exceeding previous historical numbers.
“Our teams have been working on an integrated plan for prevention and control in response to arboviruses and we are going to expand the response implemented,” Mellado said in a statement, noting that the declaration will allow additional resources that can strengthen surveillance and case management programs.
Dengue has been declared the most common mosquito borne virus worldwide, with over 400 million people being infected by it every year.
The disease spreads mainly due to the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is also known to carry other viruses such as yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika.
The virus occurs in more than 100 countries in tropical and subtropical climates, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas, according to the World Health Organization.
About 1 in 4 people infected with dengue will have symptoms such as nausea, fever, vomiting, rash, and body aches, typically muscle, bone, or joint pain, and pain behind the eyes.
Currently, there have been over 3.5 million cases and more than 1,000 deaths in Latin America, the Pan American Health Organization said on Thursday. It is also said that close to 40,000 people die from severe dengue across the globe each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“This is cause for concern, as it represents three times more cases than those reported for the same period in 2023,” which was considered a record year, PAHO director Jarbas Barbosa said.
To combat the virus, health officials in Puerto Rico are telling citizens to use insect repellent and eliminate possible mosquito breeding sites to stop water from accumulating.
“It is also essential to wear clothing that covers exposed skin and consider installing mosquito nets on beds and wire mesh on doors and windows,” Mellado said.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., there is a dengue vaccine for children between the ages of 9 to 16 who have previously had a dengue infection.
Additionally, Mellado said in a statement that all parts of Puerto Rico must join forces to prevent the virus from spreading.
The last time Puerto Rico declared a dengue epidemic was in 2012, and over 199 people died of the virus at that time.
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