By DÁNICA COTO
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Dengue fever is sweeping throughout the Caribbean and the Americas, with a document 12.6 million suspected instances of the mosquito-transmitted virus reported this 12 months, almost triple the quantity from final 12 months, well being officers mentioned Tuesday.
Circumstances of dengue have been surging globally as hotter climate introduced on by local weather change allows mosquitoes to increase their attain.
The Pan American Well being Group —the regional workplace of the World Well being Group within the Americas — mentioned deaths from dengue are additionally rising.
Greater than 7,700 deaths have been reported within the Caribbean and the Americas up to now in 2024, a greater than 200% enhance, in comparison with 2,467 deaths in 2023, in response to the group.
“This is linked directly to climatic events,” he mentioned, referencing hotter temperatures, droughts and flooding. A quick inhabitants progress, unplanned urbanization and poor sanitation have contributed to the rise in dengue.
The virus has surged worldwide since final 12 months and unfold to areas beforehand freed from dengue, in response to PAHO.
Brazil is reporting the best variety of dengue instances with greater than 10 million, adopted by Argentina, with greater than 580,000, and Mexico with greater than half 1,000,000.
Within the Caribbean, Guyana is main with greater than 41,000 instances, adopted by French Guiana, the Dominican Republic and Martinique.
In the meantime, native dengue transmission has been reported in California, Florida and Texas this 12 months, in response to the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.
There are 4 sorts of dengue virus, merely often called 1, 2, 3 and 4. Having one sort of virus doesn’t present immunity from others.
For the primary time in a decade, dengue serotype 3 has predominated in Mexico, Central America and elements of the Caribbean within the second half of the 12 months, in response to Thais dos Santos, PAHO’s advisor on arboviral ailments.
Dengue instances often surge through the moist season, however by late March, Puerto Rico already had declared an epidemic, with officers warning final month that it can’t be managed until residents cooperate. The U.S. territory has reported greater than 4,900 instances and no less than 9 deaths up to now this 12 months. Victims embody a 17-year-old lady and a 31-year-old girl.
The instances in Puerto Rico almost quadrupled from final 12 months, in response to authorities knowledge.
Lydia Platón, a 55-year-old English professor on the College of Puerto Rico, obtained dengue in October. “You have fever all the time. You have horrible chills,” she mentioned. “I don’t feel that my energy has returned yet.”
Her neighborhood reported 5 instances in six weeks, which she blames on heavy rains on the time and stagnant and collected water. One of many instances was her 17-year-old daughter. Platón mentioned she now lights incense and sprays herself with repellant each afternoon.
Puerto Rico officers are urging folks to do away with stagnant water the place mosquitoes lay eggs. The federal government in Trinidad and Tobago has began issuing fines to folks whose properties have turn into breeding websites for mosquitoes.
This 12 months, greater than one-third of instances in Costa Rica, Mexico and Paraguay have been reported in youngsters youthful than 15, with Guatemala reporting a excessive variety of youngster deaths, Barbosa mentioned.
Vaccines towards dengue have been launched in Peru, Brazil and Argentina, with Honduras slated to obtain them subsequent 12 months, however they’re meant largely for kids and are handiest in these already contaminated with dengue as soon as, dos Santos mentioned.
She famous that provides are restricted and that vaccines should not anticipated to have a big effect on transmission. She confused that preventive measures stay essential.
“If there’s no mosquito, there’s no dengue,” she mentioned.
