Health Emergency Declared in Peru Following Dengue Outbreak

The global outbreak of dengue disease has significantly impacted the Republic of Peru in early 2024. Compared to last year, dengue cases have increased about 90%.

As of February 26, 2024, Peru's Ministry of Health (Minsa) declared a dengue emergency for 20 of the country's 25 regions for the next three months.

Lima, the capital of Peru with about 11 million residents, lies in one of the impacted regions.

However, local media has not reported dengue cases in the tourist hot spot of Machu Picchu.

César Vásquez Sánchez, Minsa's Director, explained that this health emergency declaration will allow more budget to be transferred in the following weeks to confront this disease in the regions better. 

Vásquez Sánchez explained there have been 31,364 accumulated cases of Dengue have been reported throughout Peru and 32 related deaths this year.

"As the World Health Organization had already announced a few months ago, 2024 would be a catastrophic year for Latin America regarding dengue fever. The unusual heat wave and the absence of winter have generated a perfect panorama for the spread of Dengue," he mentioned.

While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Health Notice regarding dengue outbreaks in the Americas on February 9, 2024, it did not include Peru.

The CDC says Dengue is a disease caused by a virus spread through mosquito bites. It can become severe within a few hours. Severe Dengue is a medical emergency, usually requiring hospitalization.