SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)—Health officials revealed Tuesday that a record 12.6 million suspected cases of dengue fever, which is spread throughout the Caribbean and the Americas, have been reported this year. This is almost three times as many instances as were reported last year.
As warmer temperatures brought on by climate change allow mosquitoes to spread their range, dengue cases have been rising worldwide.
Dengue deaths are also on the rise, according to the Pan American Health Organization, the World Health Organization’s regional office in the Americas.
According to the group, there have been over 7,700 recorded deaths throughout the Caribbean and the Americas so far in 2024, which is more than 200% more than the 2,467 recorded in 2023.
At a press conference, PAHO director Jarbas Barbosa stated that the number of cases in the region, which includes the US, is the most since records have been kept in 1980.
He mentioned droughts, flooding, and rising temperatures as examples of how this is directly related to climatic occurrences. Dengue has increased as a result of unplanned urbanization, rapid population growth, and inadequate sanitation.
According to PAHO, the virus has expanded to previously dengue-free areas and has increased globally since last year.
More than 10 million dengue cases have been reported in Brazil, followed by more than 580,000 in Argentina and more than half a million in Mexico.
With over 41,000 cases, Guyana leads the Caribbean, followed by Martinique, French Guiana, and the Dominican Republic.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, local dengue transmission has been documented this year in Texas, Florida, and California.
The dengue virus comes in four varieties, which are referred to as 1, 2, 3, and 4. Being immune to one kind of virus does not mean that you are immune to others.
According to Thais dos Santos, PAHO’s advisor on arboviral illnesses, dengue serotype 3 has dominated across Mexico, Central America, and portions of the Caribbean in the second half of the year for the first time in ten years.
While many infected persons do not become ill, some do have flu-like symptoms, fever, and headaches. Severe cases may result in fatalities, shock, and severe bleeding. Recurrent infections can be very harmful.
Dengue cases typically spike during the rainy season, but by late March, an epidemic had been declared in Puerto Rico, and officials warned last month that inhabitants must cooperate if the disease is to be managed. So far this year, the U.S. territory has reported at least nine fatalities and over 4,900 cases. Among the victims are a 31-year-old woman and a 17-year-old child.
According to government data, the number of cases in Puerto Rico almost doubled from the previous year.
In October, Lydia Platen, a 55-year-old professor of English at the University of Puerto Rico, contracted dengue. You constantly have a fever. She remarked, “You have terrible chills.” My vitality doesn’t seem to have returned yet.
She attributes the five cases in six weeks that were recorded in her area to the severe rains that were occurring at the time as well as the standing and accumulated water. Her daughter, 17, was one of the cases. According to Platn, she now uses repellent on herself and fires incense every afternoon.
Officials in Puerto Rico are advising residents to remove standing water because it serves as a mosquito breeding ground. In Trinidad and Tobago, the government has begun fining those whose premises have turned into mosquito breeding grounds.
According to Barbosa, Guatemala has recorded a significant number of child fatalities this year, while Costa Rica, Mexico, and Paraguay have reported almost one-third of cases in children under the age of 15.
Dengue vaccines have been made available in Peru, Brazil, and Argentina, and Honduras is expected to get one next year. However, according to Santos, the vaccines are primarily intended for children and work best on people who have already had a dengue infection.
She pointed out that vaccines are not anticipated to significantly reduce transmission and that stocks are limited. She emphasized the continued importance of preventive measures.
According to her, there cannot be dengue if there are no mosquitoes.
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