Dengue fever is a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes. It is common in tropical and subtropical regions. Most people infected with dengue won’t show symptoms, but if they do, they might experience high fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and a rash. Fortunately, most recover within one to two weeks. Dengue fever is on the rise and, as we reported earlier this week, Orange Walk, Cayo and Toledo districts recorded over three hundred cases since the beginning of the season. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
Recognized by white markings on its legs, the Aedes aegypti is a mosquito that can spread a number of viruses and other disease agents. These illnesses include dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever. The vector comes from Africa, but is now present in various tropical, subtropical and temperate regions across the world.
Dr. Jorge Hidalgo, Internist
“That is the variety of the mosquito that, and the females, for the eggs, they need the blood and then they deposit the eggs and then in these good climate conditions, especially flooding.”
“The mosquitoes have developed abilities to become more resistant as with everything else. The mosquitoes create especially the virus because dengue is a virus disease with the mosquitoes ability to survive in urban and suburban regions and the perfect conditions. What are the perfect conditions? Right now, it’s rainy season, it’s hurricane season. We have flooding and we have water contained in different areas that are essentially the perfect space for the mosquito, for their eggs to hatch and we have more.”
Kim Bautista, Chief of Vector Control Operations
“As a country, we have reported eight hundred and sixty-five dengue cases, three hundred and eighty-three lab-confirmed cases, and four hundred and eighty-two clinical confirmed cases. Seventy-five percent of those cases come from the Orange Walk, Cayo and Toledo districts. The Toledo District, majority of their cases are from Punta Gorda Town and, of course, Bella Vista.”
“In 2019, a record was set for the highest incidents of dengue in the region. At that time, the region saw three point one-eight million dengue cases. That record was broken in 2023 where the region saw four point five million cases. We’re at week twenty-seven, but the most recent report from PAHO shows that at week twenty-four of this year, there has been a reported ten point one million cases. So you could see where, in the past five years, the region has seen three records set for the highest incidents of dengue ever.”
“Most of the time, the classic signs of dengue is the patients, after they are bitten by the mosquito, we have an incubation period that can vary between three to fourteen days and an average of seven days. In that moment then the patient starts to develop initially fever and this fever can last up to five days. This fever with associated symptoms, most commonly the patients are going to complain about having pain behind the eyes, muscle ache or, in some other areas, we call it breaking bone fever because it’s a lot of pain in the muscles and also it’s like arthritis type of pain.”
PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa calls for action, advising strongly for heightened efforts to eliminate mosquito breeding sites and protect against mosquito bites. There is also a need for increased readiness in health services for early diagnosis and timely clinical management, and continuous work to educate the population about dengue symptoms and when to seek prompt medication. Isani Cayetano for News Five.