PAHO urges Caribbean to prepare for possible rise in dengue, chikungunya
Key Points(5)
- In an epidemiological update issued Wednesday, PAHO reported 1.69 million suspected dengue cases across the Americas as of mid-September, including 3,413 severe cases and 571 deaths.
- Although reported cases were 58% lower than during the same period in 2025, the agency warned that the decline was not consistent across the region.
- Increases had been observed in recent weeks in the Andean, Central American and Caribbean subregions.
- All four dengue virus serotypes were also circulating in the Americas in 2026.
- PAHO also raised concerns about chikungunya, reporting increased transmission from late 2025 into 2026, including renewed circulation in countries and territories where the virus had not been detected for several years.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is urging Caribbean countries to strengthen disease surveillance and prepare health services for possible increases in dengue and chikungunya cases amid renewed transmission across parts of the Americas and the anticipated intensification of the El Niño phenomenon.
In an epidemiological update issued Wednesday, PAHO reported 1.69 million suspected dengue cases across the Americas as of mid-September, including 3,413 severe cases and 571 deaths.
Although reported cases were 58% lower than during the same period in 2025, the agency warned that the decline was not consistent across the region.
Increases had been observed in recent weeks in the Andean, Central American and Caribbean subregions. All four dengue virus serotypes were also circulating in the Americas in 2026.
PAHO also raised concerns about chikungunya, reporting increased transmission from late 2025 into 2026, including renewed circulation in countries and territories where the virus had not been detected for several years.
As of mid-September, 213,919 suspected chikungunya cases had been reported across 20 countries in the region. Of these, 78,481 were confirmed, and 88 deaths were recorded.
The agency also highlighted transmission in new areas, outbreaks outside historically affected seasons, longer periods of transmission and increased reports of more severe clinical manifestations.
PAHO is calling on countries to strengthen epidemiological, virological and entomological surveillance, expand diagnostic capacity and ensure early detection and timely treatment of cases.
It also recommended more coordinated measures to control Aedes mosquitoes, which transmit both dengue and chikungunya.
Health services should be prepared to manage potential increases in cases at every level of care, PAHO said, emphasizing the need to train primary healthcare workers to recognize dengue warning signs early and prevent progression to severe illness.
Hospitals should also be prepared to treat patients with warning signs and severe cases, the agency added.
PAHO further urged countries to improve environmental management, remove containers that collect standing water and encourage communities, families, local authorities and other sectors to participate in mosquito prevention and control.
Eliminating mosquito breeding sites remains a key measure in reducing mosquito populations and limiting the spread of both diseases, the agency said.
