WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said that this year the region has faced the largest dengue epidemic since records began in 1980. It said countries have reported more than 12.6 million cases, nearly three times more than in 2023, including 21,000 severe cases and over 7,700 deaths.

PAHO is expressing concern at the increase in cases of dengue, oropouche, and avian influenza, but emphasised effective strategies to control the outbreaks and mitigate their impact.

“Dengue is posing a higher-than-normal risk to children. In countries like Guatemala, 70 per cent of dengue-related deaths have occurred in children,” said PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa.

He told reporters that children under 15 represent over a third of severe cases in countries like Costa Rica, Mexico, and Paraguay.

The PAHO director explained that the situation is linked to climate events favouring mosquito proliferation, as well as to unplanned urbanisation, accumulated water around the home, and poor waste management, which create breeding grounds for the vector.

Despite the challenges, he insisted that “we are not powerless against dengue,” and mentioned the implementation of PAHO’s Integrated Management Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Arboviral Diseases as a key effort to “keep severe and fatal cases relatively low through better patient management.”

Dengue vaccines have been introduced in several countries, however, Barbosa noted that “the current vaccine will not stop the spread of the virus in the short or medium term and does not provide immediate relief during an outbreak”.

PAHO said it has also observed an increase in cases of oropouche virus, which is transmitted by infected midges and some mosquito species.

In 2024, more than 11,600 cases have been reported in 12 countries and territories in the region.

“Although the oropouche outbreak is on a much smaller scale than dengue, it requires our attention due to its increasing geographic spread, outside the Amazon Basin, including in areas with no prior history of the disease,” Barbosa said.

The possibility of mother-to-child transmission, including foetal deaths and congenital anomalies, is being investigated.

“Countries must strengthen their surveillance and continue sharing information. We must work across borders to monitor new cases and support health systems to respond,” he added.

Regarding the H5N1 virus, also known as avian influenza, Barbosa reported that while the number of human cases is moderate, the public health impact remains limited.

“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.”

H5N1 is a virus commonly found in birds, but it is now infecting other species as well, such as dairy cattle in the United States.

A total of 19 countries in the Americas have reported H5N1 cases in animals this year, and two of those countries have confirmed human cases. The PAHO director said that surveillance is key to tracking the virus and understanding its evolution.

Barbosa called for continued strengthening of cooperation between human, animal, and environmental health sectors to enable early detection and timely interventions in animals.
The PAHO director urged countries to collaborate more in addressing these challenges.

“When countries share information, coordinate, and support responses to diseases, lives are saved,” Barbosa said, adding that PAHO continues to work with regional countries to strengthen their emergency response capacities and ensure coordinated action against current and future outbreaks.