Dengue cases surge in the Americas in potentially worst-ever outbreak -PAHO

Mexico City: Dengue cases in the Americas spiked in the first three months of this year by three times the number of infections reported in the same period last year, the Pan American Health Organisation said on Thursday.

Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay are the countries most affected by dengue, in what PAHO officials described at a press conference as probably the worst season to date observed in the Americas for the often deadly mosquito-borne viral illness.

PAHO, part of the United Nations organisation, has confirmed some 3.5 million cases of dengue and more than 1,000 deaths this year trough March across the Americas, extending from Canada to the southern tip of Chile and including the Caribbean.

Around 4 billion people, or about half the world's population, live in areas with a risk of contracting dengue, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dengue symptoms include fever, headaches, vomiting, skin rashes, as well as muscle and joint pain. In some cases, it can cause a more severe hemorrhagic fever, resulting in bleeding that can lead to death.

Most dengue cases are usually seen between February and May, the Southern Hemisphere's late summer months.

(Reporting by Marion Giraldo; Editing by David Alire Garcia)