Dengue fever in South America

Countries that are currently reporting cases of dengue fever include:

• Colombia: more than 64,000 cases and 50 deaths. Affected department includes Sucre.
• Ecuador: at least 41,000 cases and 6 deaths
• Peru: at least 54,000 cases with 49 deaths
• Argentina; approximately 3,270 cases
• Brazil: more than 1,700,000 cases nationwide with 660 deaths. Very affected municipalities include Cuiaba, Varzea Grande, and Rondonopolis (Mato Grosso state); Campinas (São Paulo state)
• Paraguay: more than 42,000 cases with 9 deaths

Advice

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.