31 Children Deaths Confirmed During Peru's Dengue Outbreak

Save the Children published a press release on June 16, 2023, stating that at least 31 children have died, and 45,900 children have been infected with the dengue virus this year.

The death total for all people during Peru's dengue outbreak has risen to 252 nationwide.

Verónica Valdivieso, Save the Children Perú Director, commented, "Peru's children are particularly vulnerable to dengue fever, and the high rates of cases are notably concerning."

"Peru desperately needs stronger national leadership to put policies in place to prevent and respond to epidemics like this."

The country has seen over 150,294 cases since January 2023, substantially higher than the previous peak of 74,000 cases for the entire year in 2017.

The current dengue outbreak is impacting 18 out of 24 Peru's regions declared in a state of emergency.

Previously, the U.S. Embassy in Lima issued a Health Alert on June 7, 2023.

The Embassy confirmed this dengue outbreak included the city of Lima and lower elevations in the Cusco region (below 2,300 m, or 7,500 ft).

As of June 10, 2023, a total of 1,994,088 dengue cases were reported in the Region of the Americas.

In the U.S., most locally-acquire and travel-related dengue outbreaks in 2023 have been reported in Florida and Puerto Rico.

Dengue is a disease caused by a virus spread through mosquito bites, says the U.S. CDC.

The disease can take up to 2 weeks to develop, with illness generally lasting less than a week. However, Dengue can become severe within a few hours.

Severe Dengue is a medical emergency, usually requiring hospitalization.

As of June 18, 2023, two dengue vaccines are authorized in various countries.