Brazil accounts for approx. 70% of dengue cases in LA, Caribbean

Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have reported approximately 4.6 million cases of dengue fever this year, marking a 237 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Brazil alone is expected to surpass 3.1 million probable cases in 2024, accounting for 67.4 percent of the region’s total.

The data is sourced from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and was presented by the organization’s arbovirus specialist, Carlos Melo, on Thursday (Apr. 11) during a seminar on arbovirus hosted by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) in Rio de Janeiro.

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Arboviruses are illnesses caused by viruses primarily transmitted by mosquitoes, such as Aedes aegypti, responsible for spreading diseases like dengue, Zika, and chikungunya.

Cases

In absolute numbers, Brazil leads the ranking. Following Brazil are Paraguay, Argentina, and Peru, with each country having no more than 200,000 cases.

One contributing factor to Brazil’s prominence is its large population. However, when considering the incidence of dengue, which is the proportion of cases relative to the population, the country ranks second, behind Paraguay.

According to PAHO figures, Paraguay has a rate of 2,540 cases per thousand inhabitants, while Brazil registers 1,816. However, the Brazilian Ministry of Health reports a slightly lower incidence rate of 1,529 cases per thousand people in Brazil.

In terms of confirmed dengue deaths, Brazil recorded 1,292 fatalities in 2024, leading the PAHO ranking in absolute numbers. However, in proportional terms, the country ranks behind Paraguay, Guatemala, Peru, Bolivia, Honduras, Ecuador, and Argentina.

Climate change

Among the 25 countries monitored by PAHO, 12 are experiencing outbreaks, meaning they have more probable cases than initially projected.

PAHO attributes the epidemic in Brazil and outbreaks in other countries to factors such as the El Niño phenomenon, characterized by abnormal warming of the Pacific Ocean waters, which could be one of the most significant on record.

“This behavior is clearly associated with climate change,” notes Carlos Melo.