Dengue Risk Elevated in Numerous Countries

According to several health agencies, the global risk assessment related to dengue virus outbreaks increased in late December 2023.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported that as of November 2023, over 4.5 million cases and over 4,000 dengue-related deaths have been reported from 80 countries/territories globally.

For example, the U.S. CDC reissued Level 1 - Practice Usual Precautions, Travel Health Notices on December 14, 2023, for countries located in Africa, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and the Pacific Islands.

In the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) confirmed that 2023 is the year with the highest historical record of dengue cases, registering more than 4.1 million new infections, exceeding 2019, when about 3.1 million cases were reported.

Several factors are associated with the increasing risk of dengue epidemics, such as the changing range in elevation of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, especially in previously dengue native areas, stated the PAHO on December 12, 2023.

Because mosquito bites spread dengue, all travelers to these areas, including southeast Florida and Puerto Rico, are at risk. 

Since dengue can become severe within a few hours, usually requiring hospitalization, prevention options are essential.

In addition to avoiding mosquito bites, dengue is a vaccine-preventable disease.

As of late 2023, two approved dengue vaccines and several vaccine candidates are in development. These vaccines have limited availability, based on which country you are located in.