Dengue fever outbreak in Puerto Rico creates public health emergency
Puerto Rico dengue fever cases "have exceeded historical figures," Puerto Rico Health Secretary Carlos Mellado stated, declaring a public health emergency in an effort to curb the rising cases.
The risk of getting sick with dengue fever is ever present in Puerto Rico and other places with hot, humid climates — but this year “cases have exceeded historical figures,” according to Puerto Rico Health Secretary Carlos Mellado.
Mellado declared a public health emergency this week in an effort to curb the rise in dengue fever cases, saying the decree helps guarantee Puerto Rico has access to the resources needed to combat the outbreak. The declaration is set to last 90 days and can be renewed if necessary.
Puerto Rico joins Brazil, Peru and other Latin American nations dealing with outbreaks in declaring a state of emergency over dengue fever.
As of Tuesday, there have been over 3.5 million cases and more than 1,000 deaths in Latin America, the Pan American Health Organization said at a news briefing Thursday.
“This is cause for concern, as it represents three times more cases than those reported for the same period in 2023," which was considered a record year, PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa said.
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