Victoria Micieli, director and scientist on the Center for Parasitological and Vector Studies of the nationwide scientific analysis institute CONICET, classifies totally different species of mosquitoes at a laboratory in La Plata, in Argentina’s Buenos Aires Province, on Tuesday.

Luis Robayo/AFP through Getty Images

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Luis Robayo/AFP through Getty Images

Victoria Micieli, director and scientist on the Center for Parasitological and Vector Studies of the nationwide scientific analysis institute CONICET, classifies totally different species of mosquitoes at a laboratory in La Plata, in Argentina’s Buenos Aires Province, on Tuesday.

Luis Robayo/AFP through Getty Images

Puerto Rico has issued a public well being emergency after recording an unusually speedy rise in dengue instances over the primary few months of this yr.

It’s the most recent space to grapple with a surge of infections of the mosquito-borne illness, which sickens an estimated 100–400 million people globally annually.

According to Puerto Rico’s well being division, the territory has recorded 549 instances because the begin of the yr, almost half of which have occurred within the San Juan area. Puerto Rico noticed a complete of 1,293 instances all through all of final yr, the Associated Press reported.

“This year, dengue cases have exceeded historical figures,” Puerto Rico’s well being secretary Carlos Mellado López mentioned in an announcement.

Dengue has been surging elsewhere, too. Brazil has seen a dramatic uptick in dengue this yr, with a couple of million instances, whereas Peru experienced a file variety of infections final summer season. Argentina can also be on the cusp of a record-breaking dengue outbreak.

According to the World Health Organization, about half of the world’s inhabitants is now in danger for the illness.

What is dengue?

People usually contract dengue via the chew of an Aedes mosquito contaminated with one of many 4 sorts of the dengue virus.

Most individuals with dengue will present no indicators of an infection or expertise solely gentle symptoms, akin to fever, muscle and joint ache and nausea. They usually recuperate in a single or two weeks.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, solely 1 / 4 of individuals contaminated with dengue get sick.

In uncommon instances, dengue can require hospitalization and be doubtlessly deadly. More extreme signs embrace bleeding gums and nostril, belly ache and chronic vomiting.

Those who’ve gotten dengue beforehand usually tend to turn into critically in poor health with a subsequent an infection.

Though there isn’t a particular medication to deal with dengue, victims can take acetaminophen to regulate their fever and cut back ache.

How to maintain your self protected

Roughly half of the Earth’s inhabitants may catch dengue the place they reside. Found mostly in tropical and subtropical climates, dengue is endemic to greater than 100 nations in Asia, Africa, the Americas and elsewhere, in response to the WHO, and has been spreading to components of Europe. Last yr Florida and Texas reported dengue instances.

There is a vaccine for dengue known as Dengvaxia. In the U.S., it’s approved for use in kids between ages 9–16 who’ve beforehand been contaminated with the illness, and in different components of the world it’s available to adults as much as age 45.

Experts say one of the simplest ways to keep away from contracting dengue is to prevent mosquito bites.

Insect repellents akin to DEET, Picaridin and IR3535 may also help hold mosquitoes at bay. People may put on loose-fitting clothes that covers their legs and arms and use mosquito nets.

At residence, individuals ought to have screens in home windows and doorways and repeatedly dump standing water from gadgets like flower pots to stop mosquitoes from laying eggs.