Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic following a spike in dengue cases

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic following a spike in dengue cases. The U.S. territory of 3.2 million people has reported at least 549 cases so far this year, compared with a total of 1,293 cases for all of last year. The island’s health department says more than 340 people have been hospitalized for the mosquito-borne virus. Officials said Monday that the majority of cases have been reported in the capital of San Juan. More than 5 million dengue cases were reported worldwide last year, with nearly 80% of them occurring in the Western Hemisphere, according the World Health Organization.