PAHO: Americas report record dengue and Oropouche cases

The world’s warming climate has driven the number of dengue fever and Oropouche infections in the Americas this year to record highs, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) officials have said.

The number of dengue cases recorded in 2024 has now exceeded 12.6 million, three times the previous record set last year, Jarbas Barbosa, PAHO director, said at a briefing on 11 December.

More than 7700 deaths from dengue fever have also been recorded this year with 88% of fatalities reported in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. In 2023 a total of 2467 deaths were recorded in the region.

“This increase in cases is directly associated with climatic events, including droughts, floods, and warmer climates that favour the proliferation of mosquito breeding sites,” Barbosa told journalists.

Although local transmission has been limited in the US, an unusually high number of cases have also been reported in southern states such as Florida, Hawaii, Texas, Arizona, and California because of climate change, Barbosa said. Poor living conditions with lack …