International
The US warns of the threat of dengue in the country after cases skyrocketed in the world
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are alerting doctors and local health authorities, especially in the southern U.S., about the threat of dengue in the country after the disease skyrocketed globally.
“Althog there are currently no reports of an outbreak in the continental area of the United States, cases around the world have increased at an alarming rate,” Gabriela Paz-Bailey, director of the CDC’s Dengue Office, based in Atlanta, Georgia, told EFE.
According to data from the agency, so far this year a total of 2,241 cases have been reported in the United States, an increase compared to 2023, taking into account that 3,036 were registered throughout the year.
Photograph of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, responsible for the transmission of dengue. EFE/Andre Borges
Of the total number of cases so far in 2024, 1,498 were counted in Puerto Rico, where local authorities declared a state of emergency in March after registering historical figures of this disease transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, also a carrier of Chikunguña, yellow fever and Zika.
“The increase in travel during the summer to places where dengue is common can lead to greater local transmission in the United States, so it is important for health professionals to test patients who have a fever and have traveled to places where dengue is frequent,” Paz-Bailey said.
Therefore, the epidemiologist urges those who travel to these countries to use repellent, because they want to prevent them from returning with the virus and it from spreading in the United States, since the mosquito is present in several states of the country, especially in the south.
“This imports of the virus by case of dengue in travelers can result in it being transmitted locally, although they are generally short chains of transmission and outbreaks that can be controlled, they are not the explosive outbreaks we see in Puerto Rico,” Paz-Bailey stressed.
Historically, local cases have been reported in Hawaii, Florida and Texas, and have recently been reported in Arizona and California, according to the director of the Dengue Office.
“But where we expect there to be more possibilities of transmission is in the southern United States, where the Aedes aegypti mosquito exists, and Florida has been one of the states that has reported the most locally acquired cases,” said the expert, who assures that heat is a factor that is contributing to the increase in cases globally.
Paz-Bailey explains that the mosquito is now present in areas where it could not survive before because the temperatures were lower. Likewise, hurricanes, floods and other “extreme phenomena” generate favorable conditions to generate breeding sites for these insects and thus multiply.
According to the CDC, approximately one in four people infected with the dengue virus – for which there is no specific drug to treat – get sick and some of them suffer from serious symptoms that can be life-threatening in a few hours, so hospitalization is required.
International
Police investigate deaths of Rob Reiner and wife as apparent homicide
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is investigating the deaths of Hollywood actor and filmmaker Rob Reinerand his wife as an “apparent homicide,” amid a wave of tributes to the director of classics such as When Harry Met Sally.
According to U.S. media reports on Sunday, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were found dead at their Los Angeles mansion with what appeared to be stab wounds.
Several political figures shared messages of condolence following the reported deaths of the director of A Few Good Menand his wife.
While the LAPD did not officially confirm the identities of the victims, it stated that homicide detectives were dispatched to the Reiner residence.
“At this time, no additional details are available and the investigation into an apparent homicide is ongoing,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement posted on social media.
LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told reporters that no arrests have been made and that no individuals are currently being questioned as suspects.
“I’m not going to confirm whether anyone is being questioned at this moment or not. We are going to try to speak with as many family members as we can,” Hamilton said.
CNN reported that a family spokesperson confirmed the deaths of Reiner and his wife.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, former U.S. President Barack Obama, and former Vice President Kamala Harrisissued statements expressing their condolences.
International
U.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty
The United States and Mexico have reached an agreement to comply with current water obligations affecting U.S. farmers and ranchers and for Mexico to cover its water deficit to Texas under the 1944 Water Treaty, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement.
The department уточified that the agreement applies to both the current cycle and the water deficit from the previous cycle.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Mexico of failing to comply with the water-sharing treaty between the two countries, which requires the United States to deliver 1.85 billion cubic meters of water from the Colorado River, while Mexico must supply 432 million cubic meters from the Rio Grande.
Mexico is behind on its commitments. According to Washington, the country has accumulated a deficit of more than one billion cubic meters of water over the past five years.
“This violation is severely harming our beautiful crops and our livestock in Texas,” Trump wrote on Monday.
The Department of Agriculture said on Friday that Mexico had agreed to supply 250 million cubic meters of water starting next week and to work toward closing the shortfall.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, quoted in the statement, said Mexico delivered more water in a single year than it had over the previous four years combined.
Trump has said that if Mexico continues to fall short of its obligations, the United States reserves the right to impose 5% tariffs on imported Mexican products.
Mexico’s Deputy Foreign Minister for North America, Roberto Velasco, said that a severe drought in 2022 and 2023prevented the country from meeting its commitments.
International
Several people shot in attack on Brown University campus
Several people were shot on Saturday in an attack on the campus of Brown University, in the northeastern United States, local police reported.
“Shelter in place and avoid the area until further notice,” the Providence Police Department urged in a post on X. Brown University is located in Providence, the capital of the state of Rhode Island.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social that he had been briefed on the situation and that the FBI was on the scene.
At 5:52 p.m. local time (11:52 p.m. GMT), Brown University said the situation was still “ongoing” and instructed students to remain sheltered until further notice.
After initially stating that the suspect had been taken into custody, Trump later posted a second message clarifying that local police had walked back that information. “The suspect has NOT been apprehended,” the U.S. president said.
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