Dengue Cases Surging In The Americas, PAHO Says

Reuters (3/28, Giraldo) reports, “Dengue cases in the Americas rose in the first three months of this year by three times the number of infections reported in the same period last year, the head of the Pan American Health Organization said on Thursday.” Argentina, Brazil, “and Paraguay are the countries hardest hit by dengue in what PAHO officials described as potentially the worst outbreak in the Americas to date for the deadly mosquito-borne viral illness.” PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa da Silva said, “Probably this will be the worst dengue season that we will have.” NBC News (3/28, Acevedo) reports, “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.” The health secretary “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.” CNN (3/28, Rivera, Musa) reports “Mellado said the health department has registered 549 cases of dengue so far this year, far exceeding historical numbers.”