Rising Dengue Cases in the Americas: Health Advisory Issued by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a health advisory regarding dengue virus infections in the United States. In 2024, countries in the Americas reported a record number of dengue cases, surpassing the highest number ever recorded in a single year. From January 1 to June 24, there have been 9.7 million reported cases of dengue in the Americas, which is more than double the total number of cases in 2023, which was 4.6 million cases.

Dengue is a virus transmitted to people through mosquito bites, and symptoms can include fever, aches, nausea, vomiting, rash, and eye pain. More severe cases of dengue may involve symptoms of severe bleeding, shock, or respiratory distress. The mortality rate for dengue can be reduced from about 13% to less than 1% with proper management of symptoms with medical professional help.

In the U.S., Puerto Rico has declared a public health emergency due to 1,438 cases of dengue. U.S. travelers to Puerto Rico have also reported higher numbers of dengue cases than expected, with 745 cases in the first six months of the year. Health care providers are urged to remain vigilant for symptoms of dengue and educate patients on how to prevent it through measures such as using EPA-approved repellents and wearing loose-fitting clothing that covers exposed skin areas when outdoors during peak mosquito breeding season hours (usually before sunrise and after sunset). Using air conditioning is also recommended whenever possible to keep mosquitoes away from your living space. Eliminating standing water where mosquitoes breed is crucial in reducing the risk of getting infected with this disease.

To prevent dengue infection among children aged 9-16 who have previously been infected with dengue or live in high-risk areas like Puerto Rico, the CDC recommends administering them Dengvaxia vaccine which was prequalified by World Health Organization (WHO) for use in high-risk environments like Puerto Rico recently . Additionally , WHO recently prequalified another new vaccine called TAK-003 for children aged 6-16 years old living in high-risk environments like Puerto Rico . However currently there are no antiviral medications that specifically treat