Puerto Rico declares public health emergency after spike in dengue cases
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Key takeaways:
- Puerto Rico declared a public health emergency over an increase in dengue cases.
- Overall, 549 cases have been reported this year in Puerto Rico, with almost half occurring in San Juan.
Puerto Rico has declared a public health emergency following a spike in cases of dengue.
"This year, dengue cases have surpassed historical figures,” Carlos Mellado López, MD, secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Health, said in a press release. “Teams have been working on [an integrated prevention and control plan] in response to arboviruses and we are going to expand the response implemented.”
As of Monday, the number of confirmed cases of dengue in Puerto Rico in 2024 was 549, which is already nearly half of the infections reported in 2023. Almost half (49%) of all cases have been reported in the San Juan region.
By declaring a public health emergency, which will remain in place for 90 days before reevaluation, López said necessary resources to strengthen surveillance, detection, prevention, control of vectors and clinical management will be more readily available to support the local response.
He added, however, that it is not just Puerto Rico that has seen an increase in dengue cases.
“It is important to note that the rise in cases has not only been reflected in Puerto Rico, but we've seen it all over the region of the Americas,” López said.
Indeed, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) told reporters on Tuesday that 4.5 million cases of dengue were reported in the Americas last year — the highest total on record. There have already been 3 million cases in the Americas as of March 25, according to PAHO, with 81% of the cases occurring in Brazil.
WHO has attributed the rise in cases partially to the spread of dengue vectors — primarily Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes — as well as increasing temperatures and rainfall.
A dengue vaccine has been approved in the United States and its territories — including Puerto Rico — since 2019, but only for children aged 9 through 16 years who have a laboratory-confirmed previous dengue infection.
According to the CDC, there have been 550 cases of dengue in the U.S this year, although all but a few cases in Florida were related to travel.
The Puerto Rico Department of Health is urging residents to eliminate mosquito breeding sites, remove any containers or eliminate areas that can accumulate water and use insect repellants that contain DEET, picaridin or other recommended ingredients.
“It is essential to recognize the symptoms early, such as fever, headache, muscle pain, and rashes, and fatigue, as they could be indicative of dengue fever,” López said. “In the presence of any of these symptoms, it is recommended to look for immediate medical attention.”
References:
- CDC. Dengue: Current year data (2024). https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/statistics-maps/current-data.html. Accessed March 26, 2024.
- CDC. Dengue: Historic data (2010-2023). https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/statistics-maps/historic-data.html. Accessed March 26, 2024.
- Department of Health issues public health emergency declaration for dengue. https://www.salud.pr.gov/menuInst/download/1833. Published March 25, 2024. Accessed march 26, 2024.
- Epidemiological alert - Increase in dengue cases in the Region of the Americas. https://www.paho.org/en/documents/epidemiological-alert-increase-dengue-cases-region-americas-16-february-2024. Posted Feb. 16, 2024. Accessed March 26, 2024.
- WHO. Disease outbreak news. https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2023-DON498. Accessed March 26, 2024.
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