The Pan American Organization of the Health (OPS) reported this Tuesday on the situation of three communicable diseases that affect the region of the Americas: dengue, Oropouche and the flu avian (H5N1).
He director of the OPS, doctor Jarbas Barbosa expressed concern about the increase in cases in 2024, but highlighted that there are effective strategies to control outbreaks and mitigate their impact.
Dengue:epidemia historical in the Americas
This year, the region has faced the epidemic of dengue biggest since the beginning records in 1980. Countries have reported more than 12.6 million cases, almost three times more than in 2023. More than 21,000 of these cases have been serious, and more than 7,700 deaths have been reported.
Argentina, BrazilColombia and Mexico account for 90% of the cases and 88% of the deaths, with Brazil recording most of it.
“He dengue is posing a greater than normal risk to the children. In countries like Guatemala70% of deaths from dengue have occurred in children,” said the doctor Barbosa, during a wheel press release, highlighting that children under 15 years of age represent more than a third of serious cases in countries such as Costa Rica, Mexico and Paraguay.
He director of the OPS explained that the situation is related to weather events that favor the proliferation of mosquitoes, as well as unplanned urbanization, the accumulation of water by people and poor waste management, which create breeding sites for the vector.
Despite the challenges, he insisted that “we are not defenseless against the dengue“, and mentioned the implementation of the Organization’s Integrated Management Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Arboviral Diseases as a key effort to “keep serious and fatal cases relatively low through better patient management.”
The vaccines against him dengue have been introduced in countries such as Brazil, Argentina and Peru, and Honduras plans to do so in 2025. However, Barbosa noted that “the current vaccine will not stop the spread of the virus short or medium term and does not provide immediate relief during an outbreak.
In the particular case of Dominican Republicthe minister of HealthVÃctor Atallah, pointed out this Monday that infectious diseases remain under control, registering 1,263 confirmed cases of dengue in 2024 and nine deaths associated with the disease.
Oropouche: expansion geographic of the virus
The OPS has also observed an increase in cases of Oropouchea virus Transmitted by infected midges and some species of mosquitoes. In 2024, more than 11,600 cases have been reported in 12 countries and territories in the region, mainly in Brazil.
“Although the outbreak of Oropouche It is on a much smaller scale than that of denguerequires our attention due to its growing expansion geographic“outside the Amazon Basin, including areas with no prior history of this disease, commented the doctor Barbossa.
The possibility of transmission maternal and childincluding fetal deaths and congenital anomalies, is being investigated.
“Countries must strengthen their surveillance and continue sharing information. We must work cross-border to monitor new cases and support health systems to respond,” said the director in the digital meeting.
Flu avian (H5N1): surveillance continuous in the region
As for the virus H5N1also known as flu avianhe doctor Barbosa reported that, although the number of human cases is moderate, “the impact on public health remains limited,” he highlighted.
“In 2024, 58 human cases have been reported in the United States and one in Canada. This contrasts with the three cases reported in the previous two years for the entire region,” he stated.
He H5N1 it’s a virus commonly found in birdshowever, is infecting other species as well, such as dairy cattle in the United States. In total, 19 countries in the Americas have reported cases of H5N1 this year and two of those countries have confirmed human cases.
Barbossa said that surveillance is key to tracking the virus and understand its evolution and called to continue strengthening cooperation between the human, animal and environmental health sectors to allow early detection and timely interventions in animals.
Collaboration regional key to facing outbreaks
He doctor concluded the wheel press release underscoring the importance of collaboration between countries to face these challenges.
“When countries share information, coordinate and support disease responses, lives are saved,” he stressed.
