Dengue cases are surging in the Americas, with cases reported topping 5.2 million as of this week, surpassing a yearly record set in 2023, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
PAHO spokesperson Ashley Baldwin told CNN Thursday that 5,214,480 cases of dengue have been reported in the Americas as of Wednesday.
In all of 2023, the total number of cases reported in the region was 4,572,765.
“We are in an emergency situation because of dengue,” PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa said in a news briefing Thursday.
Countries in the southern hemisphere have been the hardest hit so far, with Brazil accounting for a majority of the cases.
So far in 2024, the Americas have reported 1,858 deaths from the illness, less than last year’s total of 2,418.
“While there is currently no specific treatment for dengue (at any clinical stage), most cases are mild.
Early detection and access to proper medical care will reduce the probability of dying due to severe dengue,” Baldwin added.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reports that dengue cases are rising throughout the Americas, with over 5 point2 million cases reported as of this week, breaking the annual record set in 2023.
CNN quoted Ashley Baldwin, a PAHO spokesperson, as saying on Thursday that as of Wednesday, 5,214,480 cases of dengue had been reported in the Americas. The total number of cases that were reported in the area in 2023 was 4,572,765.
At a press conference on Thursday, PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa declared, “We are in an emergency situation because of dengue.”.
The majority of the cases have occurred in Brazil, but countries in the southern hemisphere have been the worst affected thus far. A surge in cases prompted Rio de Janeiro to declare a state of public health emergency in February.
As a result of the epidemic, which has risen to over 155,000 cases, 20 of Peru’s 25 regions are under a health alert, the government announced this week. There are 146 fatalities.
Though PAHO warned that other nations in the region, especially those in the northern hemisphere, must get ready for the arrival of spring and warmer temperatures, the situation in some South American hotspots appears to have stabilized in recent weeks.
According to Baldwin, “most cases occur in the first half of the year in the southern hemisphere and in the second half in the northern hemisphere.”. We anticipate a rise in cases in the north now that the south has seen a peak in cases this year. “.
According to PAHO, there are a number of reasons for the rise in dengue, including temperature rises, harsh weather, population growth that is too quick, and a lack of access to clean water and sanitation, all of which can serve as mosquito breeding grounds.
The number of reported disease-related deaths in the Americas so far in 2024 is 1,858, which is fewer than the 2,418 recorded this time last year.
According to Barbosa, there is a dengue vaccine that can help lower the number of severe cases and fatalities associated with the disease, but it cannot stop outbreaks right away.
Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever are among the viruses that are known to be carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is also the primary vector for the spread of dengue, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It produces flu-like symptoms and, in severe cases, can be fatal.
Hospitals in Peru are being overrun by the outbreak, including Hospital Sergio Bernales in Lima, which has already seen over 2,000 cases of dengue this year. Dr. Oscar Torre, the head of the hospital’s internal medicine department, told CNN en Español that the hospital treated little over 900 patients in 2023.
A dedicated ward constructed during the Covid-19 pandemic is where patients at the facility are receiving care. A lot of people are sleeping in beds with netting surrounding them to keep mosquitoes—which can carry the virus that causes the illness—at bay. CNN en Español’s video captured this.
According to Baldwin, PAHO advises putting in place a strategy that prioritizes clinical management, control of the mosquito vector that spreads the virus, and surveillance in an effort to contain the outbreak.
Although there isn’t a specific treatment for dengue (at any clinical stage), the majority of cases are manageable. The likelihood of dying from severe dengue will be decreased with early detection and access to quality medical care, Baldwin continued.
The World Health Organization states that the virus is endemic in over 100 countries with tropical and subtropical climates, primarily in urban and semi-urban areas. Additionally, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and American Samoa are US territories where it is endemic.
