Honduras: Over 111,000 confirmed dengue cases as of late December /update 7

Event

The Honduran government has confirmed 11,437 cases of dengue fever, including 19,420 cases of severe dengue, as of Friday, December 27, 2019. This has been cited as the worst dengue epidemic in Honduras' history. The most affected departments remain Yoro, Distrito Central, Cortes, and Olancho. However, all 20 health regions have recorded cases in 2019. 

Further spread of the disease is anticipated over the near term. 

Context

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease found mostly in urban and semi-urban areas. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, nausea, and rash. Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is a potentially deadly complication that is characterized by high fever, enlargement of the liver, and hemorrhaging.

Advice

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