Victoria Micieli, director and scientist on the Heart for Parasitological and Vector Research 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 Photographs
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Luis Robayo/AFP through Getty Photographs
Victoria Micieli, director and scientist on the Heart for Parasitological and Vector Research 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 Photographs
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 is the most recent space to grapple with a surge of infections of the mosquito-borne illness, which sickens an estimated 100–400 million individuals globally every year. In response to Puerto Rico’s well being division, the territory has recorded 549 instances for the reason that begin of the yr, practically 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 Related Press reported.
“This yr, dengue instances have exceeded historic figures,” Puerto Rico’s well being secretary Carlos Mellado López stated in a press release. Dengue has been surging elsewhere, too. Brazil has seen a dramatic uptick in dengue this yr, with multiple million instances, whereas Peru skilled a report variety of infections final summer time. Argentina can be on the cusp of a record-breaking dengue outbreak. In response to the World Well being Group, about half of the world’s inhabitants is now in danger for the illness. What’s dengue? Folks usually contract dengue via the chunk of an Aedes mosquito contaminated with one of many 4 varieties of the dengue virus. Most individuals with dengue will present no indicators of an infection or expertise solely gentle signs, similar to fever, muscle and joint ache and nausea. They usually recuperate in a single or two weeks. In response to the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, solely 1 / 4 of individuals contaminated with dengue get sick.
In uncommon instances, dengue can require hospitalization and be doubtlessly deadly. Extra extreme signs embody bleeding gums and nostril, stomach ache and chronic vomiting. Those that’ve gotten dengue beforehand usually tend to turn out to be critically ailing with a subsequent an infection. Although there isn’t any particular medication to deal with dengue, victims can take acetaminophen to regulate their fever and cut back ache. Tips on how to hold your self secure Roughly half of the Earth’s inhabitants might catch dengue the place they dwell. Discovered 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 elements of Europe. Final yr Florida and Texas reported dengue instances.
There’s a vaccine for dengue known as Dengvaxia. Within the U.S., it’s authorized to be used in kids between ages 9–16 who’ve beforehand been contaminated with the illness, and in different elements of the world it’s out there to adults as much as age 45. Specialists say the easiest way to keep away from contracting dengue is to stop mosquito bites.
Insect repellents similar to DEET, Picaridin and IR3535 may also help hold mosquitoes at bay. Folks can even put on loose-fitting clothes that covers their legs and arms and use mosquito nets. At dwelling, individuals ought to have screens in home windows and doorways and commonly dump standing water from objects like flower pots to stop mosquitoes from laying eggs.