Mexico: Dengue fever alert in Chiapas (south)

Event

Health officials in the southern state of Chiapas are on alert due to an abnormally high rate of dengue, notably the disease’s more deadly strain, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). At least 2600 cases, including eight associated fatalities, have been reported since the beginning of the year (as of late September). The risk is particularly high in areas bordering Guatemala. 

Nationwide, nearly 14,500 cases of DHF have been reported so far this year.

Context

Symptoms of dengue fever include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, nausea, and rashes. DHF is characterized by high fever, the enlargement of the liver, and hemorrhaging.

Advice

Individuals in Chiapas are advised to take measures to protect themselves from mosquito bites - e.g. by wearing covering clothing, using insect repellent, and sleeping under mosquito netting or in an air-conditioned room - and to eliminate possible mosquito breeding grounds (small pockets of fresh water, such as rainwater that has collected in cans, bottles, tires, flower pots, clogged gutters, etc.).