The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is urging countries of the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico to strengthen preventive measures against dengue fever.
This, as it reports an increase in cases in the southern hemisphere and the beginning of the season of increased transmission in the northern hemisphere.
REPORT:
In an alert issued within the past 24 hours, PAHO emphasized the importance of strengthening surveillance, diagnosis and vector control actions, as well as preparing health services for the proper management of patients.
The aim is to prevent complications and avoid possible overcrowding of health services.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease that, in most cases, has no symptoms.
However, when symptoms do occur, they usually include high fever, headache, body aches, nausea and rash.
Although most people recover within one to two weeks, some can develop severe forms that require hospitalization, which can be fatal when not treated promptly and properly.
Cases in Central America are reported to have tripled, and in the Caribbean, countries and territories have reported over 21,000 cases, representing a 5.7-fold increase compared to the corresponding period last year.
Faced with the unprecedented regional increase in dengue cases, PAHO urges countries to intensify efforts to combat the mosquito vector and the disease, for which there is no specific treatment.
PAHO emphasizes the importance of timely clinical diagnosis, early identification of warning signs, and proper management of patients to avoid serious cases and deaths.
