Dengue Outbreaks Surpass 9 Million Cases, Greater Than Any Previous Year

With the expanding geographic range of disease-carrying mosquitoes, more people than ever are being infected with dengue fever this year.

In the Region of the Americas, the number of dengue cases during the first half of 2024 exceeded the maximum number compared to all previously recorded years.

According to the Pan American Health Organization's (PAHO) latest report, 43 countries and territories in the Region of the Americas have reported 9,386,082 cases of dengue.

However, in 2023, only 4,617,108 dengue cases were reported by the PAHO.

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that as of mid-June 2024, 43 jurisdictions, led by Florida, New York, and Puerto Rico, reported 1,984 dengue cases.

The CDC says dengue is endemic in the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.

To alert international travelers of the risk of dengue infection, the CDC reissued a Global Travel Health Notice on June 20, 2024, regarding outbreaks in 30 countries.

To prevent serious health issues, the WHO has prequalified two dengue vaccines.

On May 15, 2024, the WHO announced that it prequalified the Takeda-developed QDENGA® (TAK-003) vaccine. This dengue vaccine does not require pre-admission testing.