Puerto Rico declared a public health emergency on Wednesday (26/3), after the number of dengue fever cases on the island experienced a significant increase.
Dr. Iris Cardona, chief medical officer at Puerto Rico's Department of Health, said that if the number of cases continues to rise, the island's health system could be overwhelmed by the situation.
“Yesterday, a declaration of a public health emergency was issued, basically because of the increase in dengue fever cases in the last eight weeks. The figure, if you look at it in detail, doesn't seem very significant, around forty or sixty cases per week. “The reality is, that number has been above the alert level, or epidemic threshold, for the last eight weeks,” Cardona said.
Fever infections are common in Puerto Rico, but are not expected to arrive until the rains begin in the summer. Historically, most cases of dengue fever occurred between August and December. But this year, the number of cases has increased in a season when there should be no cases.
“As soon as January enters, cases usually start to fall slightly. That is the historical record that we have. “However, this year as we enter the third week of 2024, we are starting to see an increase in cases that are attracting attention,” added Cardona.
Since the start of the year, 549 cases have been recorded on the island, and about 62 percent of those infected have had to be hospitalized.
“Before this epidemic, about 70-90 percent of Puerto Ricans had experienced dengue fever once. But right now, we have two different serotypes that have never affected people before. So, most cases today are second infections, and soon the third. “Because of this, the symptoms this year are more severe than two years ago,” said Grayson Brown, executive director of the Vector Control Unit, Puerto Rico.
Authorities on the island have carried out a number of spraying measures to mitigate mosquito numbers. (ns/rs)