Dengue fever on rise, epidemic declared in Puerto Rico

A dengue epidemic was declared in Puerto Rico by the nation’s Health Secretary on Monday, following a sharp upsurge in recorded cases which have left the authorities and citizens deeply concerned. 549 cases have already been reported in the US Territory which is home to roughly 3.2 million citizens.

While the numbers might seem miniscule at first glance, the fact remains that Puerto Rico recorded a total of 1,293 cases during the entirety of last year, a figure which will easily be surpassed in the short term if the current rate of infection persists.

The capital city of San Juan is considered to have been affected the most by this epidemic and has become the point of focus for the public health authorities in the nation for now.

The Health Department of Puerto Rico has revealed that 340 citizens have been hospitalized, showing serious symptoms, having contracted dengue fever.

The understanding in the region is that Puerto Rico is facing a serious healthcare issue, which is evident from the fact that the last time the territory declared it was facing a dengue epidemic was in 2012.

The World Health Organization has revealed that dengue has been a matter of concern for the entire world but more specifically the western hemisphere. Apparently, 5 million dengue cases were recorded all over the world last year, out of which 80% were attributed to the Western Hemisphere.

The speculation is that climate change, the subsequent heat, humidity and high levels of rainfall in the region have contributed to the rising numbers of dengue cases. As much is evident from the fact that 3 million cases of dengue fever have already been recorded this year.

It is very clear from these numbers that dengue cases are rising at a much higher rate than last year, which has left many of the healthcare organisations in the region at a disadvantage.

The dengue virus presents with multiple symptoms in humans, including but not limited to severe headaches, fever, vomiting, rashes etc.

While in most cases, infected individuals do not show symptoms or the symptoms manifest in a minor way, in serious cases, plasma leakage and death are common occurrences.
Thus, Puerto Rico is taking this medical emergency quite seriously and is looking to bring the rising rate of infections under control before too much damage is done.