The health secretary of Puerto Rico announced an epidemic on Monday due to a surge in dengue cases.
The U.S. territory, home to 3.2 million people, has recorded at least 549 cases this year, compared to 1,293 cases for the entirety of last year, with the majority occurring in San Juan.
Over 340 individuals have been hospitalized due to the virus.
This is the first dengue epidemic declaration since 2012. Globally, more than 5 million dengue cases were reported last year, with nearly 80% in the Western Hemisphere.
The region has reported around 3 million cases this year, with health experts attributing the increase to climate change-induced factors like higher rainfall, humidity, and heat.
Dengue symptoms include severe headaches, fever, vomiting, rash, among others, with severe cases potentially leading to plasma leakage and death.
