Dengue cases top 5.2 million in the Americas as outbreak passes yearly record, PAHO says

CNN
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Dengue cases are rapidly increasing in the Americas, with more than 5.2 million reported cases as of this week, surpassing the annual record set in 2023, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). ing.

PAHO spokesperson Ashley Baldwin told CNN on Thursday that as of Wednesday, 5,214,480 dengue cases had been reported in the Americas. In all of 2023, the total number of cases reported in the region was 4,572,765.

“Due to dengue, we are in a state of emergency,” PAHO Director Jarvas Barbosa said at a press conference on Thursday.

Countries in the Southern Hemisphere have been the hardest hit so far, with Brazil accounting for the majority of cases. February, Rio de Janeiro declared a public health emergency In the midst of a surge in cases.

In Peru, the number of infections has soared to more than 155,000, and 20 of the country’s 25 regions are under health alert, the government announced this week. 146 people died.

Although the situation appears to have stabilized in some South American hotspots in recent weeks, PAHO warned other countries in the region, including in the Northern Hemisphere, that they must prepare for the arrival of spring and rising temperatures.

“Most cases in the Southern Hemisphere occur in the first half of the year, and most cases in the Northern Hemisphere occur in the second half of the year,” Baldwin said. “So far this year, we have seen a peak in cases in the south, and we expect cases to increase in the north as well.”

According to PAHO, the increase in dengue fever can be attributed to several factors, including rising temperatures, extreme weather events, rapid population growth, and inadequate water and sanitation services that can create breeding grounds for mosquitoes. be.

So far in 2024, 1,858 deaths from the disease have been reported in the Americas, down from last year’s total of 2,418.

Barbosa warned that while a dengue vaccine is available and can help reduce severe cases and deaths, it cannot immediately stop the outbreak.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dengue fever is a mosquito-borne virus spread primarily through the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is also known to transmit other viruses such as yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika. It can cause flu-like symptoms and, in the worst case scenario, can lead to death.

The outbreak has overwhelmed hospitals in Peru, including Lima’s Sergio Bernales Hospital, which has already treated more than 2,000 dengue patients this year. Dr. Óscar Torre, head of the hospital’s internal medicine department, told CNN Spanish that in 2023, the hospital had treated just over 900 people.

Patients at the facility are being treated in special wards built during the coronavirus pandemic. Many people are resting in beds surrounded by netting to avoid mosquitoes that can transmit the virus that causes the disease, according to a CNN Spanish-language video.

Baldwin said that to control the outbreak, PAHO recommends implementing strategies that focus on surveillance, control of the virus-carrying mosquitoes, and clinical management.

“Currently, there is no specific treatment for dengue fever (at any clinical stage), but most cases are mild. If detected early and given appropriate medical care, death from severe dengue fever is less likely. It’s going to be lower,” Baldwin added.

According to the World Health Organization, the virus is endemic in more than 100 countries with tropical and subtropical climates, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas. It is also endemic in the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.