Dengue epidemic reaches alarming numbers in Latin America: in three months, 3.5 million cases were detected

2.3 million probable cases have already been registered in Brazil

The dengue epidemic in Latin America reached alarming numbers in 2024, with a notable increase in cases and deaths compared to the previous year, reported the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

In a press conference Jarbas Barbosa, director of PAHO, the regional office of the World Health Organization in the Americas, reported that the region recorded 3.5 million cases of dengue from January to March, a number three times higher than the cases reported in the same period last year, and also more than a thousand deaths.

“This is a cause for concern because it represents three times more reported cases than on the same date in 2023, a record year with more than 4.5 million cases”, highlighted Barbosa.

The year 2024 “will probably be the worst dengue season ever recorded in America”, he added.

The dengue virus is transmitted to people when they are bitten by infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

According to PAHO experts, the increase in dengue cases is related to rising temperatures, the urbanization of cities, droughts and floods linked to climate change, poor sanitation and the lack of robust health systems.

The majority of cases of the disease in 2024 will occur in the southern hemisphere, especially in Brazil, where 2.3 million probable cases of dengue and 830 deaths have already been recorded in 2024, according to data from the Ministry of Health.

According to data collected by PAHO, Brazil has 80% of infections recorded in the region, followed by Paraguay, Argentina, Peru and Colombia.

In the Caribbean, more than 25,000 cases have been reported, with French Guiana, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic being the most affected, said Rhonda Sealey-Thomas, assistant director of PAHO.

Given the seriousness of the situation, PAHO representatives called on all countries in the region to support prevention efforts and intensify the elimination of breeding sites, the main measure currently used to prevent the spread of dengue, as vaccines are still available. in the initial phase of application and are not available in large quantities.

Another initiative identified as essential is to prepare public and private health services for early diagnosis and timely clinical treatment of dengue patients.

According to Barbosa, efforts must also be redoubled to inform and educate the population, as most dengue outbreaks occur in or around homes to prevent the disease from gaining strength in the region.