SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Health officials in Puerto Rico warned
Tuesday of a potential epidemic of dengue fever in the U.S. territory,
with seven suspected deaths from the disease this year.

More than 3,200 suspected dengue cases have been reported across the
Caribbean island since January, more than double the number for the same
period last year, according to government epidemiologist Enid Garcia Rivera.

"We are in what could be a dengue epidemic," she said.

Most of the confirmed cases of the mosquito-borne illness have occurred
in Puerto Rico's urban areas, where health officials have launched a
public education campaign to encourage people to eliminate pools of
stagnant water, potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

The island's dengue strain has been mild so far, with the majority of
people who may be infected showing only flu-like symptoms.

There is no vaccination or cure for dengue, which is also known as
break-bone fever because of the severe joint pains it causes. Victims
bitten by mosquitoes carrying the disease suffer a high fever and
sometimes nausea and rashes. In rare cases, the ailment can be fatal.

Researchers with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are
running tests to confirm if the seven suspected deaths in Puerto Rico
were caused by dengue.

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