Peru MOH issues epidemiological alert due to increase in dengue cases in the country
More than 9300 dengue cases reported in first four weeks
The Peru Ministry of Health (Minsa) issued an epidemiological alert on January 31 due to an increase in dengue fever across the country.
According to data from the National Center for Epidemiology, Prevention and Disease Control (CDC), through the fourth epidemiological week of the year (January 21 to 27), there are 9,353 cases registered this year in 20 regions of the country, including 8 deaths.
Piura (1,499), La Libertad ( 1,085) and Ica ( 1,016) are the regions reporting the most cases to date.
The three regions, as one example, see significant increases in dengue (712 total in January 2023 vs 3,600 last month, for a 405% increase).
Metropolitan Lima has reported 137 cases to date.
The Epidemiological Alert (AE- CDC- Nº 002 – 2024) recommends strengthening preventive actions at the national level, which range from guaranteeing compliance with epidemiological surveillance, established in the Technical Health Standard No. 125-MINSA/2016/CDC-INS in Institutions Providing Health Services (IPRESS); make the diagnosis based on epidemiological and clinical criteria; guarantee the processing of laboratory tests; notification of cases and hospitalizations; and compliance with the "Clinical Practice Guide for the Care of Dengue Cases in Peru."
In addition, have medications and devices for patient care; strengthen the capacities of health personnel, community agents, community leaders, teachers, families, among others; implement or continue with the Fever Units (UF), Clinical Surveillance Units (Uviclin); carry out larval control actions, entomological surveillance and nebulization if necessary; promote coordinated work with regional, provincial and district governments; guide families in the application of the family self-assessment sheet “10 minutes against mosquitoes”; disseminate preventive messages through the communication campaign “Together we can prevent dengue”; among other.
According to data published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), dengue, a mosquitoborne viral disease, is endemic to Peru, with the annual number of cases ranging between 4,698 and 68,290 from 2017 to 2022.
In 2023, 273,172 total dengue cases were reported, including 441 deaths.