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Epidemiological Alert - Increase in dengue cases in the Americas Region - 7 October 2024

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Due to the increase in dengue cases reported by countries of the Central American Isthmus and Mexico during 2024 and considering the beginning of the dengue season in South America, the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) encourages Member States to continue their efforts in surveillance, early diagnosis, and timely care of dengue and other arbovirus cases, in order to prevent severe cases and deaths associated with these diseases, and, especially for countries in South America, to review their dengue response plans.

Summary of the situation in the Americas Region

In the Americas Region, the number of dengue cases recorded during the first half of 2024 exceeded the number of cases historically reported in a year, as compared to all previously recorded years. As of epidemiological week (EW) 36 of 2024, 47 countries and territories in the Americas Region have reported 11,732,921 dengue cases; this number is two and half times as high as the number of cases recorded throughout 2023, which was 4,594,823 dengue cases (Figure 1) (1).

Between EW 1 and EW 36 of 2024, of the total reported dengue cases, 6,253,754 (53%) were laboratory confirmed. Of this total, 17,610 were characterized as severe dengue (0.15%) and 6,650 fatal cases were recorded (case fatality rate of 0.057%) (1). Cases from six countries make up 97% of the fatal dengue cases in the Americas Region: Brazil with 5,303 (82.4%), Argentina with 408 (6.1%), Peru with 234 (3.5%), Colombia with 131 (1.97%), Paraguay with 121 (1.8%), and Ecuador with 59 (0.88%) fatal dengue cases (1).

All four serotypes of the dengue virus have been circulating in the Americas Region as of EW 36 of 2024. Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Panama report simultaneous circulation of the four serotypes (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4). Additionally, Argentina, French Guiana, Peru, and Puerto Rico reported simultaneous circulation of DENV-1, DENV-2, and DENV-3 (1).

Reference
(1) Pan American Health Organization. PLISA Health Information Platform for the Americas, Dengue Indicators Portal. Washington, D.C.: PAHO; 2024 [cited 23 September 2024]. Available from: https://www3.paho.org/data/index.php/en/mnu-topics/indicadores-dengue-en.html