The chance of getting sick with dengue fever is ever current in Puerto Rico and different locations with sizzling, humid climates — however this 12 months “circumstances have exceeded historic figures,” based on Puerto Rico Well being Secretary Carlos Mellado.Mellado declared a public well being emergency this week in an effort to curb the rise in dengue fever circumstances, saying the decree helps assure Puerto Rico has entry to the sources wanted to fight the outbreak. The declaration is ready to final 90 days and will be renewed if obligatory.Puerto Rico joins Brazil, Peru and different Latin American nations coping with outbreaks in declaring a state of emergency over dengue fever.As of Tuesday, there have been over 3.5 million circumstances and greater than 1,000 deaths in Latin America, the Pan American Well being Group stated at a information briefing Thursday.“That is trigger for concern, because it represents 3 times extra circumstances than these reported for a similar interval in 2023,” which was thought of a file 12 months, PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa stated.The Puerto Rico Division of Well being reported first noticing a rise in dengue fever circumstances on the island on the finish of 2023. With 146 circumstances reported by the third week of January, dengue fever charges began to constantly surpass 2023 ranges.As of March 10, a minimum of 549 dengue fever circumstances had been reported on the island because the begin of the 12 months, principally within the capital of San Juan, based on the Well being Division. About 62% of sufferers had been hospitalized with the illness; solely 29 circumstances had been thought of extreme. No dengue fever fatalities have been reported to this point.The most typical symptom amongst those that contract the mosquito-borne illness is fever, based on the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention. Different signs embrace critical complications, nausea, vomiting, rash and physique ache.Signs will be gentle or extreme. Most dengue fever sufferers recuperate in every week, however in extreme circumstances the illness will be life-threatening and require hospitalization because it can lead to shock, inside bleeding and even loss of life. Those that have had dengue up to now usually tend to develop extreme signs. An individual can get sick with dengue fever as much as 4 instances of their lifetime — as soon as for every kind of virus that may trigger the illness, based on the CDC.The CDC has been working with the Puerto Rico Well being Division and different native companies to enact the island’s dengue fever prevention and management plan — which incorporates eliminating and cleansing up areas with stagnant water that might function mosquito breeding websites, in addition to urging the general public to make use of mosquito repellents and wire mesh panels to maintain mosquitoes out of their properties.In an announcement Monday, Mellado stated in Spanish that every one elements of Puerto Rican society should be part of forces to forestall contagion and the unfold of this virus.Puerto Rico final declared a dengue epidemic in 2012. No less than 199 folks died of dengue fever throughout that point.For extra from NBC Latino, join our weekly e-newsletter.