Peru Sees Nearly 150,000 Dengue Cases Amid El Nino Rains, Over 1,300 Hospitalizations Daily
Peru is battling its worst dengue outbreak in recent years as nearly 150,000 cases have been reported in the country, with the El Nino weather phenomenon being blamed for the current health crisis.
According to data from Peru’s National Center for Epidemiology, Disease Prevention, and Control, there have been 145,529 total cases of dengue infection in the country as of June 13, including 75,798 confirmed cases and 69,731 probable ones. There have been 183 confirmed deaths, with 31 in the last week. The number of deaths under investigation was 62. More than 1,300 people are being hospitalized every single day.
Dengue is a virus carried by Aedes mosquitoes that are most prevalent in regions with tropical and subtropical climates. Peruvian health authorities are blaming El Nino as a key factor for the current surge in dengue cases.
El Nino is a climate phenomenon that drives tropical cyclones in the Pacific and thus raises the risk of rainfall and flooding in countries in the region. A season of heavy rains can end up triggering a rapid expansion of mosquito populations due to the accumulation of water in various places.
The last time Peru saw a major outbreak of dengue cases was in 2017, when the region was affected by El Nino. At the time, there were 68,290 cases and 89 deaths. This year’s numbers have already eclipsed 2017 figures.
Dengue Danger
According to the CDC, around one in four people who get infected by the dengue virus will get sick. Among those who do get sick, symptoms can range from mild to severe.
The most common symptoms of dengue are fever, together with some other discomforts like nausea, vomiting, rashes, aches, or pain in the muscles, joints, bones, or behind the eyes. There is no specific medicine for treating dengue.
Roughly one in 20 people who get sick with dengue are expected to develop severe sickness that can result in shock, internal bleeding, and even death. Those who have already contracted dengue in the past are more likely to develop severe dengue.
In Peru, the situation is now so alarming that President Dina Boluarte signed a decree on June 8 that declared a two-month “state of emergency.” The emergency declaration is valid in 18 of Peru’s 24 regions and allows quick official action for “imminent danger from heavy rainfall” this year and in 2024.
Children are believed to be at particular risk from severe dengue. “In Piura, 30 percent of the infected people are children,” said Cesar Orrego, the ombudsman for the region, according to The Guardian. “Their cases can quickly become fatal, so we need pediatricians.”
Health Alert, Global Situation
On June 7, the U.S. embassy in Lima, Peru, issued a health alert warning about the spread of dengue fever in the South American nation and advised travelers to sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive updates from the embassy.
The CDC has issued a travel health notice for Peru, warning travelers to be “aware of current health issues” in the country. It has classified Peru as a “Level-1: Practice Usual Precautions” nation.
“Because dengue is spread by mosquito bites, all travelers to risk areas should prevent mosquito bites by using an EPA-registered insect repellent, wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors, and sleeping in an air-conditioned room or room with window screens or under an insecticide-treated bed net,” the agency advised.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around half of the world’s population is at risk of contracting dengue, with annual infections ranging from an estimated 100 million to 400 million.
Over the decades, the number of dengue cases reported to WHO has soared, jumping from 505,430 cases in 2000 to 5.2 million in 2019. Since a vast majority of cases are asymptomatic or mild and self-managed, the organization believes the actual number of cases is underreported.
