A document surge in dengue instances all through Latin America and the Caribbean prompted the pinnacle of the Pan American Well being Group to warn of the necessity for proactive measures to curb the virus that’s transmitted by mosquitoes. PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa mentioned in a press briefing Thursday that as of March 26, the area had seen greater than 3.5 million instances of dengue and greater than 1,000 deaths.”That is trigger for concern, because it represents 3 times extra instances than these reported for a similar interval in 2023, a document 12 months with greater than 4.5 million instances reported within the area,” he mentioned.As of March, the hardest-hit international locations in Latin America are Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina — which have accounted for 92% of the dengue instances and 87% of the deaths — the place mosquitoes have thrived due to the nice and cozy and wet climate this time of 12 months.A person who suffers from dengue signs waits to be attended to at a hospital amid a surge in instances nationwide, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Tuesday. Natacha Pisarenko / APBarbosa mentioned, nevertheless, that they are seeing an uptick in Barbados, Costa Rica, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Martinique and Mexico, “the place transmission is normally larger within the second half of the 12 months.”U.S. embassies have been issuing well being alerts in international locations all through the area, urging folks to cowl their legs and arms, use mosquito repellent and keep away from stagnant water and different mosquito-breeding locations. The U.S. territory of Puerto Rico declared a dengue public well being emergency this week, with a surge in instances largely within the island’s capital, San Juan. In response to the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, “dengue viruses are unfold to folks by way of the chunk of an contaminated Aedes species” mosquito, with signs that may vary from gentle to life-threatening for many who get sick from the an infection. About 1 in 20 folks can get extreme dengue, which might result in demise. A well being employee fumigates a public faculty playground as a part of a marketing campaign towards dengue-promoting mosquitoes, in Brasilia, on March 9. Eraldo Peres / APThe most typical symptom is fever, in keeping with the CDC; different signs embrace severe complications, nausea, vomiting, rash and physique ache.“Dealing with the dengue downside is a activity for all sectors of society,” Barbosa mentioned, urging group engagement. This contains “efforts to remove mosquito breeding websites and defend towards mosquito bites, enhance preparedness in well being companies for early analysis and well timed medical administration, and steady work to coach the inhabitants about dengue signs and when to hunt immediate medical consideration,” in keeping with a PAHO information launch. For extra from NBC Latino, join our weekly publication.