Puerto Rican Children 300% More Prone To Asthma

Children in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, are about 300% more likely to suffer from asthma than white kids in the continental U.S., according to the CDC. What’s worse, this year Puerto Rico has seen an increase in new cases, adding to a death rate that’s 2.5 times the rate as in the continental U.S.

In short, asthma is a big problem in Puerto Rico — especially for people of European ancestry. Although this year authorities think the asthma problems may be due to heavy rains and a subsequent increase in spores, the country has had higher rates for decades and no one knows exactly why.