By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews
The Guatemala Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance is reporting a significant increase in dengue fever cases in 2019 to date. On 29 July, the Minister of Health declared an Epidemiological Red Alert to report an “epidemiological crisis due to the increase in dengue cases” affecting over 75 per cent of the country.
They report 9,943 total cases (a rate of 56.2/100,000 inhabitants) so far in 2019 versus 2,646 accumulated cases (a rate of 15.3/100,000) in 2018.
In addition, they report 27 deaths attributed to severe dengue (of a total of 38 cases), of which 65 per cent were children under 15.
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The presence of four dengue serotypes, predominantly of the DEN-2 serotype, increases the risk of severe dengue.
The highest number of cases have been reported in the municipality of Coatepeque in Quetzaltenango department and in Jacaltenango in Huehuetenango; however, active outbreaks are reported in 14 of 30 Health Regions in the country, especially in the municipalities of Jacaltenango, San Luis Jilotepeque, Joyabaj, Ixcan, Cuilapa, Nueva Santa Rosa, Mazatenango, Melchor de Mencos, San Benito, Poptún, San Luis Peten, Puerto Barrios, Morales, Chiquimula, Coatepeque and Malacatán.
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