Peru Is Reeling from Record Case Counts of Dengue Fever. What’s Driving the Outbreak?

June 21, 2023

(NPR) – So far this year, nearly 150,000 Peruvians have come down with the disease, according to the Pan American Health Organization. The current death toll is 248 in what is by far Latin America’s most intense dengue outbreak. 

The Andean nation is not alone. The disease is on the rise around the globe. The World Health Organization says reported cases jumped from 505,430 in 2000 to 5.2 million in 2019. Most cases are asymptomatic or result in only mild sickness. But a number of patients do go on to develop severe dengue, which can be fatal in up to 13% of untreated patients, according to the Centers for Disease Control. (Read More)