The Epidemiology of Dengue in the Americas Over the Last Three Decades: A Worrisome Reality

Abstract

Abstract. We have reported the epidemic patterns of dengue disease in the Region of the Americas from 1980 through 2007. Dengue cases reported to the Pan American Health Organization were analyzed from three periods: 1980-1989 (80s), 1990-1999 (90s), and 2000-2007 (2000-7). Age distribution data were examined from Brazil, Venezuela, Honduras, and Mexico. Cases increased over time: 1,033,417 (80s) to 2,725,405 (90s) to 4,759,007 (2000-7). The highest concentrations were reported in the Hispanic Caribbean (39.1%) in the 80s shifting to the Southern Cone in the 90s (55%) and 2000-7 (62.9%). From 1980 through 1987, 242 deaths were reported compared with 1,391 during 2000-7. The most frequently isolated serotypes were DENV-1 and DENV-2 (90s) and DENV-2 and DENV-3 (2000-7). The highest incidence was observed among adolescents and young adults; dengue hemorrhagic fever incidence was highest among infants in Venezuela. Increasing dengue morbidity/mortality was observed in the Americas in recent decades.

Lineage II of Southeast Asian/American DENV-2 is Associated with a Severe Dengue Outbreak in the Peruvian Amazon

“…5,[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] Historically, southeast Asia has borne the brunt of severe dengue disease, but severe disease has also been on the rise in the Americas, where the number of DHF cases has increased more than eightfold over the last 30 years from 13,398 during the 1980s to 111,724 between 2000 and 2007. 19 The increase in dengue disease severity in the Americas has been attributed to a shift from single-serotype endemism to hyperendemicity (cocirculation of multiple serotypes) of DENV coupled with the introduction of new genotypes with relatively high pathogenicity. [20][21][22] After the eradication efforts of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) during the 1950s, DENV-2 was the only serotype detected in the Americas until the 1960s, and by the 1980s, all four serotypes of DENV were present.…”

Vaccine-preventable diseases and their impact on Latin American children

“…Outbreaks have been reported in all Central America and the Caribbean during the last two decades, where it is endemic, and has extended to Mexico, Paraguay and Argentina [16,17]. In the Americas is estimated to cost US$2.1 billion/year on average.…”

Diagnóstico diferencial de dengue y chikungunya en pacientes pediátricos

“…En las Américas, la circulación del DENV data de la década de los 80; desde entonces se ha extendido a cerca de 40 países de la zona (10). En Colombia, el número de casos ha crecido de manera importante en las últimas décadas y se caracteriza por brotes epidémicos cada tres o cuatro años (7,11).…”