Brazil accounts for most of these cases and deaths, followed by Paraguay and Argentina.
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease that has been on the rise in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Over 3.5 million cases reported as of March 26th, including more than 100 deaths.
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease that has been on the rise in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has warned about this surge, with over 3.5 million cases reported as of March 26th, including more than 100 deaths. Brazil accounts for most of these cases and deaths, followed by Paraguay and Argentina. This increase in dengue transmission is attributed to the higher transmission season in the southern hemisphere when Aedes aegypti mosquitoes thrive due to warm weather. PAHO has issued nine epidemiological alerts since 2019 providing guidance on disease prevention and control, including information about all four dengue serotypes which increases the risk of severe forms of the disease.
Puerto Rico declared a dengue epidemic after a spike in cases of the mosquito-borne disease hit the island.
From January 1 to March 10, there were 549 dengue cases, including 341 hospitalizations and 29 severe cases in Puerto Rico.
Cases are concentrated in cities such as San Juan, Bayamon, Guaynabo and Carolina.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title of the article suggests that Puerto Rico has declared a public health emergency due to dengue cases surging when it only mentions that they have registered more than historical numbers and are expanding their response plan. Secondly, the author quotes Amanda Musa as saying 'Dengue is endemic in over 100 countries worldwide' but fails to mention that this includes Puerto Rico which has been experiencing a dengue outbreak for years. Thirdly, the article mentions that there is no dengue vaccine available for adults in the US when it actually states earlier on that there is a vaccine available for children ages 9-16 who have laboratory-confirmed evidence of previous infection and live in areas where dengue is endemic including Puerto Rico. Lastly, the article mentions that climate change will encourage the spread of dengue around the world but fails to mention how it has already been contributing to outbreaks in tropical regions like Puerto Rico.
The title suggests a public health emergency when no such declaration was made
The article fails to mention how climate change has already been contributing to outbreaks in tropical regions like Puerto Rico.
Amanda Musa incorrectly states that dengue is endemic worldwide without mentioning Puerto Rico specifically
'There is no dengue vaccine available for adults in the US' contradicts earlier statement about availability of vaccine for children and those living in areas with high risk of infection including Puerto Rico.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when the author cites statistics from various sources without providing any context or analysis of those statistics. This creates a false sense of credibility and can be misleading for readers who do not have access to additional information about these claims.
More than 400 million people are infected every year.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement that Puerto Rico has declared a public health emergency due to the surging number of dengue cases. This is an example of political bias as it implies that the government is taking action in response to the situation and may be trying to garner support from its citizens.
Dengue outbreaks occur occasionally in the continental United States; last year, several cases were reported in Florida.
Puerto Rico Secretary of Health Carlos Mellado said
Puerto Rico declared a dengue epidemic after a spike in cases of the mosquito-borne disease hit the island.
From January 1 to March 10, there were 549 dengue cases, including 341 hospitalizations and 29 severe cases in Puerto Rico.
Cases are concentrated in cities such as San Juan, Bayamon, Guaynabo and Carolina.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that Puerto Rico has reported the most dengue cases among US territories since 2010 but fails to mention that this includes Guam and American Samoa which have had more cases than Puerto Rico in recent years. Secondly, the article claims that there is a community-based strategy approach being used by health officials in Puerto Rico but does not provide any specific details on what these strategies are or how they will be implemented. Lastly, the article quotes an expert who states that climate change and increased travel are contributing to dengue outbreaks worldwide but fails to mention that there is no scientific evidence linking climate change directly to dengue fever.
The article claims that there is a community-based strategy approach being used by health officials in Puerto Rico but fails to provide any specific details on what these strategies are or how they will be implemented.
The statement 'Puerto Rico has reported the most dengue cases among US territories since 2010' is deceptive because it does not include Guam and American Samoa which have had more cases than Puerto Rico in recent years.
The statement 'Climate change and increased travel are contributing to dengue outbreaks worldwide' is deceptive because it does not mention that there is no scientific evidence linking climate change directly to dengue fever.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a source of information without providing any context or criticism of their methods or findings. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing dengue fever as a significant public health threat that can cause severe illness and death. The article also contains an example of dichotomous depiction by stating that Puerto Rico reported 199 deaths in 2012, which was the last time the commonwealth declared a dengue epidemic. This creates a false sense of urgency and implies that dengue fever is only dangerous when it leads to an outbreak or epidemic. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric by stating that infants, older adults and those who are pregnant or immunocompromised have a greater risk of developing severe symptoms. This creates a false sense of fear and implies that dengue fever is only dangerous for certain groups of people.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it is working with the Puerto Rico Department of Health on surveillance, vector control, education efforts.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement that Puerto Rico reported the most dengue cases among US territories in 2012. This is not accurate as data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that Guam had more dengue cases than Puerto Rico in 2013, and American Samoa had more cases than both Puerto Rico and Guam combined in 2014.
Puerto Rico reported the most dengue cases among US territories in 2012.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of dengue fever as she is affiliated with Yale School of Public Health which conducts research and provides information about mosquito-borne diseases including dengue. The article also mentions Albert Ko who is an expert in infectious disease epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health.
The author, Sabrina Malhi, is affiliated with the Yale School of Public Health which conducts research and provides information about mosquito-borne diseases including dengue. The article mentions Albert Ko who is an expert in infectious disease epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has warned about the surge in dengue cases in the Americas. As of March 26, 2024, over 3.5 million cases and more than 1,000 deaths have been reported in the region.
Dengue is on the rise throughout Latin America and the Caribbean with Brazil being hit hardest followed by Paraguay and Argentina which account for most of cases and deaths.
The increase in dengue transmission is attributed to higher transmission season in southern hemisphere when Aedes aegypti mosquito vector thrives due to warm weather.
PAHO has issued nine epidemiological alerts in the past 12 months providing guidance on disease prevention and control.
The presence of all four dengue serotypes increases risk of epidemics and severe forms of disease. Simultaneous circulation observed in 21 countries/territories.
Accuracy
PAHO has supported countries since 2010 through a comprehensive strategy to control dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases which includes strengthening surveillance, early diagnosis, timely treatment.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) as a source of information. However, this does not necessarily mean that PAHO's statements are accurate or reliable. Additionally, the author presents statistics without providing context or explaining how they were obtained, which can be misleading and potentially inaccurate.
The article states that over 3.5 million cases have been reported in the region as of March 26th, but it does not provide any information on how these numbers were arrived at.
Bias
(85%)
The article is biased towards the PAHO's call for collective action in response to the record increase in dengue cases. The author uses language that dehumanizes those affected by dengue and implies that they are responsible for their own suffering.
> 3 million cases and more than 1,000 deaths have been reported in the region.
