Dengue Cases Increase 157% in 2024

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has released an Epidemiological Alert regarding the ongoing circulation of the Dengue virus in the Region of the Americas.

This region accounts for about 80% of all Dengue cases worldwide.

As of week #5 on February 17, 2024, there have been 673,267 cases of Dengue reported, out of which 102 have been fatal (case fatality rate of 0.015%). This marks a 157% increase in the number of cases from the same period in early 2023.

In 2023, a total of 4,565,911 cases of Dengue were confirmed, including 2,340 deaths.

According to the U.S. CDC, Dengue is an acute febrile illness caused by infection with any of four related single-stranded RNA viruses of the genus Flavivirus. Almost all Dengue virus transmission occurs through the bite of infected Aedes species mosquitoes.

To alert international travelers, the CDC issued Level 1 Travel Health Notices regarding dengue outbreaks in the Americas in February 2024.

From a prevention perspective, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended the Dengvaxia® vaccine in 2021 for children aged 9–16 years with laboratory-confirmed previous dengue infection who are living in areas of the United States where Dengue is endemic.

As of February 19, 2023, the second generation QDENGA® vaccine is not authorized for use in the U.S.