The government of Guatemala has declared a public health emergency because of increasing cases of dengue fever. In the past few months, 22 people have died from the disease, and more than 12,000 infections have been registered since the beginning of the year.
Guatemala has declared a national health emergency for three months. According to the Ministry of Health, 22 people have died from dengue fever in the past few months. More than 12,000 infections have been registered since the beginning of the year, and the number of cases has continued to rise.
The rainy season and the El Niño climate phenomenon could further increase the risk of infection. With more standing water, mosquitoes that transmit the dengue virus would have more opportunities to reproduce, a civil defense official said.
Monitoring, treatment and prevention measures would now be strengthened. This includes the use of fumigation to eradicate disease-carrying mosquitoes.
Dengue case numbers are increasing
The dengue virus is transmitted by tiger mosquitoes primarily in the tropics and subtropics. Symptoms include high fever, body aches and chills.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) states that there is no specific drug to treat dengue. A dengue prevention vaccine for adults, adolescents and children aged four and over has been approved in the EU since December 2022. Antipyretics are also used to treat the symptoms of the disease.
The spread of the viral disease on the American double continent is currently high. According to the PAHO, more than three million cases of infection were reported in the first seven months of the year. More than 1,500 people died. For all of 2022, PAHO records 2.8 million infections and 1,290 deaths.
Due to globalization and climate change, the viral disease is on the rise worldwide. Tens of millions of people become infected every year.