We have identified you may not be viewing TRAVAX optimally because the browser you are using is unsupported - click here.

placeholder="Enter search term...">
Suitcase

Dengue in the Americas and Caribbean

27 July 2017

An update from the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation Link on 7 July 2017 shows dengue remains widespread in the Americas and Caribbean. The countries with the highest number of probable cases (including confirmed) are Brazil (144 326), Peru (66 687), Nicaragua (31 892), Colombia (14 522) and Ecuador (8576).

Incidence (cases per 100 000 population) is highest in Aruba (616.07), Nicaragua (509.7), Saint Barthélemy  (264.9), Turks & Caicos Islands (248.00) and Peru (214.01).

WHO probable case numbers include confirmed cases. Incidence shown below is derived from number of probable cases per 100 000 population. Area headings are those used by PAHO/WHO.

North America

USA: 49 probable cases, 49 confirmed (incidence 0.02/100 000)

Central America & Mexico

Costa Rica: 2 018 probable cases, 0 confirmed (incidence 40.34/100 000)

El Salvador: 2 021 probable cases, 45 confirmed (incidence 31.45/100 000)

Guatemala: 794 probable cases, 98 confirmed (incidence 4.88/100 000)

Honduras: 2 894 probable cases, 0 confirmed (incidence 33.18/100 000)

Mexico: 3 782 probable cases, 1 793 confirmed (incidence 3.02/100 000)

Nicaragua: 31 892 probable cases, 1 322 confirmed (incidence 509.70/100 000)

Panama: 2 906 probable cases, 1 305 confirmed (incidence 72.87/100 000)

Andean

Bolivia: 6 668 probable cases, 0 confirmed (incidence 60.48/100 00)

Colombia: 14 522 probable cases, 8 357 confirmed (incidence 29.32/100 000)

Ecuador: 8 576 probable cases, 8 576 confirmed (incidence 52.85/100 000)

Peru: 66 687 probable cases, 20 390 confirmed (incidence 214.01/100 000)

Venezuela: 2 722 probable cases, 309 confirmed (incidence 8.77/100 000)

Southern Cone

Argentina: 7 175 probable cases, 249 confirmed (incidence 121.0/100 000)

Brazil: 144 326 probable cases, 0 confirmed (incidence 70.9/100 000)

Chile: 5 probable cases, 5 confirmed (incidence 0.0/100 000)

Paraguay: 1 213 probable cases, 275 confirmed (incidence 17.3/100 000)

Hispanic Caribbean

Cuba: 270 probable cases, 0 confirmed (incidence 2.4/100 000)

Dominican Republic: 529 probable cases, 0 confirmed (incidence 4.97/100 000)

Puerto Rico: 9 probable cases, 9 confirmed (incidence 24/100 000)

English, French & Dutch Caribbean

Anguilla: 12 probable cases, 2 confirmed (incidence 75/100 000)

Antigua & Barbuda: 1 probable cases, 0 confirmed (incidence 1.09/100 000)

Aruba: 690 probable cases, 7 confirmed (incidence 616.07/100 000)

Barbados: 96 probable cases, 21 confirmed (incidence 32.99/100 000)

British Virgin Islands:16 probable cases, 7 confirmed (incidence 48.48/100 000)

Cayman Islands: 7 probable cases, 0 confirmed (incidence 12.5/100 000)

Dominica: 10 probable cases, 0 confirmed (incidence 13.51/100 000)

French Guiana: 165 probable cases, 0 confirmed (incidence 69.04/100 000)

Grenada: 37 probable cases, 37 confirmed (incidence 33.33/100 000)

Guadeloupe: 80 probable cases, 0 confirmed (incidence 19.46/100 000)

Jamaica: 48 probable cases, 2 confirmed (incidence 1.71/100 000)

Martinique: 130 probable cases, 0 confirmed (incidence32.66/100 000)

Saint Barthélemy: 24 probable cases, 0 confirmed (incidence 264.9/100 000)

St. Lucia: 11 probable cases, 11 confirmed (incidence 6.71/100 000)

St. Martin: 82 probable cases, 0 confirmed (incidence 200/100 000)

St. Vincent & the Grenadines: 2 probable cases, 1 confirmed (incidence 1.94/100 000

Trinidad & Tobago: 61 probable cases, 0 confirmed (incidence 4.53/100 000)

Turks & Caicos Islands: 124 probable cases, 124 confirmed (incidence 248/100 000)

Advice for Travellers

Dengue is the second most common identified cause of febrile illness in returning travellers and the number of cases in travellers continues to increase. All travellers to endemic regions are potentially at risk of dengue fever and should be aware of this infection. Prevention relies on avoiding mosquito bites.

Aedes mosquitoes are particularly persistent and aggressive and bite between dawn and dusk.
Methods of bite avoidance include:

• Wearing long, loose, lightly coloured clothing to cover up the skin during the day.
• The use of insect repellent containing DEET applied to any exposed skin between dawn and dusk.
• When sunscreen and DEET are used together, DEET should be applied after sunscreen. The effectiveness of repellent reduces more rapidly than sunscreen, therefore, repellent may have to be reapplied on top of sunscreen.
• The use of permethrin, impregnated mosquito nets protects against early morning bites and should also be used when sleeping during the day.
• The use of air conditioning if available and/or mesh screening of windows and doors.
• Eradication of mosquito breeding sites around accommodation/home (e.g. open containers, old tyres or flower pots that may collect water).

Vaccine

There is no vaccine against dengue fever licensed in the UK.

At present the World Health Organisation (WHO) is trialling several candidate vaccines against dengue fever.

  • Dengvaxia®, developed by Sanofi Pasteur MSD, is the first vaccine to be licensed for the prevention of dengue.
    • It is a live, attenuated, recombinant, tetravalent vaccine approved for use in people 9–45 years of age living in highly endemic regions on a 3 dose schedule.
    • Prior dengue infection increases the efficacy of the vaccine; efficacy is reduced in populations with low previous exposure to dengue and may lead to increased rates of hospitalisation due to severe dengue.
    • Mexico, Costa Rica, the Phillippines and Brazil are the first countries to have granted marketing authorization for Dengvaxia®

For further information see Dengue Fever.