Authorities from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) warned this Thursday (28) that the dengue outbreak in the Americas could be the worst ever recorded. Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay are the countries most affected by the disease.
Dengue cases in the Americas increased three times in the first three months of this year compared to the number of infections reported in the same period last year, the head of PAHO said.
“This will probably be the worst dengue season we will have,” said Dr. Jarbas Barbosa da Silva, at a press conference.
PAHO, an agency of the United Nations (UN), confirmed more than 3.5 million cases of dengue and more than 1,000 deaths by March this year in the Americas.
Barbosa da Silva highlighted that 4.5 million cases were reported throughout 2023 in the region, which, according to him, puts the Americas on the path to the highest number of cases in history.
About 4 billion people, or about half the world's population, live in areas at risk of contracting dengue fever, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Barbosa da Silva stressed that, with the increase in infections, public health authorities across the region must “redouble our efforts” to better confront the outbreak, with vector control and training of agents to detect symptoms more serious than those patients present.
Symptoms of dengue fever include fever, headaches, vomiting, rashes, as well as muscle and joint pain. In some cases, it can cause more serious hemorrhagic fever, resulting in bleeding that can lead to death.
Most dengue cases generally occur between February and May, the late summer months in the Southern Hemisphere.
Source: CNN Brasil
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