Dengue outbreaks in Brazil and Latin America: The new and continuing challenges.

ABSTRACT

Dengue is one of the most common zoonoses in Latin America. In 2023, Brazil registered a total of 1,658,814 suspected cases of dengue with 1094 deaths. For 2024, a total of 1,978,372 suspected cases of dengue were reported only until the 11th epidemiological week, with 656 deaths. When comparing dengue cases reported in 2024 and 2023, there is an increase in suspected cases, with 20% more cases reported during the first 11 epidemiological weeks of 2024 than in the entire 52 epidemiological weeks of 2023. At the same time, in 2024, the Pan American Health Organization reported suspected cases in 20 Latin American countries, with 3073 cases of severe dengue and 1187 deaths. In this sense, Brazil was responsible for more than 50% of suspected cases and deaths from dengue compared to the other Latin American countries in 2024. Furthermore, there is a different ethnic racial profile for dengue in Brazil, as Black people, Mixed individuals, and Indigenous peoples were more likely to be suspected cases of dengue in 2024 compared to 2023.