Dengue cases set new record in the Americas this year as deaths also surge

SAN JUAN (AP):

Dengue fever is sweeping across the Caribbean and the Americas, with a record 12.6 million suspected cases of the mosquito-transmitted virus reported this year, nearly triple the number from last year, health officials said Tuesday.

Cases of dengue have been surging globally as warmer weather brought on by climate change enables mosquitoes to expand their reach.

The Pan American Health Organization – the regional office of the World Health Organization in the Americas – said deaths from dengue are also rising.

More than 7,700 deaths have been reported in the Caribbean and the Americas so far in 2024, a more than 200 per cent increase, compared to 2,467 deaths in 2023, according to the organisation.

The number of cases in the region, which includes the United States, is the highest reported since record keeping began in 1980, PAHO director Jarbas Barbosa said at a news conference.

“This is linked directly to climatic events,” he said, referencing warmer temperatures, droughts and flooding. A fast population growth, unplanned urbanisation and poor sanitation have contributed to the rise in dengue.

The virus has surged worldwide since last year and spread to areas previously free of dengue, according to PAHO.

Brazil is reporting the highest number of dengue cases with more than 10 million, followed by Argentina, with more than 580,000, and Mexico with more than half a million.

In the Caribbean, Guyana is leading with more than 41,000 cases, followed by French Guiana, the Dominican Republic and Martinique.

Meanwhile, local dengue transmission has been reported in California, Florida and Texas this year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are four types of dengue virus, simply known as 1, 2, 3 and 4. Having one type of virus doesn’t provide immunity from others.

For the first time in a decade, dengue serotype 3 has predominated in Mexico, Central America and parts of the Caribbean in the second half of the year, according to Thais dos Santos, PAHO’s advisor on arboviral diseases.

Many infected people don’t get sick, but some experience headache, fever and flu-like symptoms. Severe cases can cause serious bleeding, shock and death. Repeated infections can be especially dangerous.