Brazil is currently facing a significant outbreak of dengue fever, a potentially fatal mosquito-borne disease. Health experts are warning that this outbreak could signal a looming health crisis across the Americas, including Puerto Rico.

The Health Ministry of Brazil has issued a warning, anticipating over 4.2 million cases of dengue fever this year, surpassing the 4.1 million cases reported for all 42 countries in the region by the Pan-American Health Organization last year.

While Brazil typically experiences fluctuations in dengue fever cases on a four-year cycle, experts attribute the current amplified problem to various factors, including El Niño and climate change. Brazil’s health minister, Nísia Trindade, highlighted the record heat and above-average rainfall, which have led to an increase in mosquito breeding sites, even in regions with historically low incidences of the disease.

During the Southern Hemisphere summer, dengue case numbers have already surged in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. It is expected that the virus will progress through the continents with the changing seasons, posing a threat to other countries. Dr. Albert Ko, an expert on dengue in Brazil and a professor of public health at Yale University, emphasized the interconnectedness of countries, indicating that waves of the disease in one country often lead to waves in others.