Every August 26th is commemorated International Dengue Day whose objective is to promote actions to prevent and control dengue and diseases transmitted by Aedes aegypti.
Data collected during epidemiological week (EW) number 32, detail that 51 suspected cases of dengue have been reported in the Dominican Republic. Of these, 76.47% (39) of the cases were sampled.
None of the cases have had a positive result so far, according to data from the Ministry of Health. The cumulative number of confirmed cases so far this year is 1,010. So far, 15 files have been audited by the committee for a cumulative total of 9 deaths up to this SE.
The incidence rate is 15.38 per 100,000 inhabitants, with a 28% decrease in cases documented compared to the same period in 2023.
The residential neighborhoods that present the highest proportion of cases are: Santiago City Center, Santiago Metropolitan Park, Sabana Perdida, Villa Mella, Pueblo Nuevo Santo Domingo, Herrera, Bella Vista Santiago and Gurabo.
In relation to the current behavior of the disease with the previous year (2023), at the end of that period there was a significant incidence in dengue cases. Phenomenon also observed throughout the region of the Americas.
However, and according to the behavior of dengue, during this year, in the last 4 weeksthe country moved out of the security zone (yellow) to success zone (green color), showing that the strategies executed in the country have been effective in maintaining the complete control of the disease.
The Health entity attributes the sustained decrease in dengue to the preventive measures that anticipated the forecasts of a large influx of cases around the world, and that continuously They are developed throughout the national territory.
“When we took office, the World Health Organization (WHO/PAHO) predicted that this year would be the worst in history regarding dengue. We assumed the responsibility of making a “National Plan” that involves all ministries, as well as civil society entities and communities. This has led to a sustained decrease in the disease and shows the importance of acting early and in a comprehensive manner. These actions are reflected in the results obtained, which indicate zero positive cases in the last three consecutive weeks, marking a historic milestone in terms of the behavior of dengue in the country.”said the Minister of Health, Victor Atallah, during his participation in a program.
The places of residence that present the highest proportion of cases are located in Santiago and Greater Santo Domingo.
Preventive actions
Currently, cases are below the expected averagereflecting the effectiveness of the measures applied.
Through the Provincial Directorates and Health Areas (DPS/DAS), these actions are maintained throughout the country, as part of the campaign “Let’s beat dengue fever” under the motto “Eliminate, clean and cover” where priority is given to: the de-cluttering in the environments; cover the containers after spread chlorine along the edge of tanks used to store water in homes; remove Garbage, tires and other objects accumulated in patios and open-air areas or in closed sites, which can become potential breeding grounds.
Other actions include: fumigation, delivery of materials, donation of abate (larvicide), and guidelines for the population on how to avoid dengue, and the need to go to the doctor if symptoms of fever, vomiting, rash, eye discomfort and pain, usually behind the eyes, and muscle pain.
Incidence of dengue in Latin America
According to reports from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in Latin America, between epidemiological weeks (EW) 1 and 31 of 2024, a total of 11,321,338 suspected cases of dengue (cumulative incidence of 1,185.51 cases per 100,000 inhabitants). Of these cases reported in the Americas, 6,010,361 were confirmed by laboratory and 15,461 classified as severe dengue and a total of 6,303 deaths from dengue, for a lethality of 0.056%.
