Dengue fever in Mexico and Central America

Mexico and other Central American countries are reporting continued transmission of the dengue fever virus.

• Mexico - 57 deaths; affected states include Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Morelos, Quintana Roo, Sonora, Jalisco, Oaxaca, and Veracruz
• Belize - sporadic cases
• Costa Rica - on-going transmission in many municipalities
• El Salvador - on-going transmission
• Guatemala - on-going transmission
• Honduras - thousands of cases
• Nicaragua - significant transmission with 7 deaths among almost 20,000 infected people
• Panama - slightly more than 1,000 cases nationwide

Advice

The risk of exposure will vary from place to place and may be high in many localities within any particular country.

All travellers to areas where the dengue fever virus is active can reduce their risk of exposure by taking all necessary precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Many persons with dengue fever do not seek medical care and are not reported to health authorities. There may be many more cases in the community than the reports indicate.