Dengue in Puerto Rico

21 Oct 2022

The Puerto Rican Department of Health have reported (in Spanish) an increase in dengue fever cases following Hurricane Fiona which hit Puerto Rico in mid September 2022 resulting in heavy rainfall and flooding.

So far in 2022, 340 cases of dengue were confirmed in Puerto Rico.

• 57 of these cases were reported between 10 September to 7 October.
• Only 17 cases were reported during the same period in 2021.

Dengue is an infection spread by mosquito bites that can cause a severe flu-like illness. There is no vaccine against dengue in the UK.

Advice for Travellers

The mosquitoes which transmit dengue bite during the day, between dawn and dusk. They are particularly persistent and aggressive.

If you are travelling to an affected region, you are potentially at risk of dengue fever and should be aware of this infection.

• You can protect yourself by avoiding mosquito bites at all times.

If you develop a high temperature (fever) either during or after travelling to an affected area, you should seek medical advice as soon as possible and give details of your recent travel history.

For further information see the dengue fever page.