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Dengue cases amplified during 2010 hurricane season in Puerto Rico
BALTIMORE — Dengue surveillance across Veterans Affairs facilities in Puerto Rico indicated that dengue infections occurred most frequently in coastal areas during the 2010 hurricane season, according to Patricia Schirmer, MD, CIC,and colleagues.
Schirmer, of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, and colleagues examined the association between dengue cases and hurricane seasons between 2007 and 2010. Data were pooled from the VA’s electronic biosurveillance system for tracking and monitoring of influenza trends (ESSENCE) and the National Patient Care Database to identify potential dengue visits or hospitalizations across five VA facilities.
Results indicated that 53 of 65 dengue cases occurred during the 2007 hurricane season; nine of 13 dengue cases in 2008; 17 of 30 cases in 2009; and 142 of 173 cases in 2010. “Case counts correlated with precipitation levels in 2010; increased rainfall across most of Puerto Rico in 2010 may have contributed to the epidemic,” the researchers wrote in a poster here.
Specifically, most cases occurred in San Juan, on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, which typically has higher precipitation levels and a larger population, according to the researchers. “Improving education and increasing resources, especially during the rainy season, may be useful in preventing further spread of dengue.”
For more information:
- Schirmer P. #3-021. Presented at: the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology’s (APIC) 38th Annual Educational Conference and International Meeting; June 27-29, 2011; Baltimore.
Disclosure: Dr. Schirmer reports no relevant financial disclosures.
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