2010

This update contains new information from Guatemala: From Epidemiological Weeks (EW) 1 through 11, Guatemala reported a total of 5,195 cases (859 more cases than reported in the last alert of 23 March), out of which 1,159 were laboratory confirmed, with 3 deaths (in Izabal, Jutiapa, and Petén Norte). The most affected age group continues to be children from 1 to 4 years of age, followed by infants less than a year old and then by children from 5 to 9. The departments with the greatest number of cases are Chiquimula, Santa Rosa, Escuintla, Huehuetenango, Izabal, and Retalhuleu.

This update contains new information from Guatemala: From Epidemiological Weeks (EW) 1 through 17, Guatemala reported a total of 6,657 cases of which 1,123 were laboratory confirmed, with 3 deaths (in Izabal, Jutiapa, and Petén Norte).The age group most affected were children from 1 to 4 years of age, follow by infants less than a year old and then by children 5 to 9 years old.

The purpose of this alert is to call upon the countries throughout the Region to undertake sustainability plans for its activities under the Integrated Management Strategies for the Dengue Prevention and Control (EGI-Dengue), involving other government and / or non-governmental actors and mainly to the community.

Durante todo el primer semestre del año, la situación epidemiológica del dengue ha presentado un comportamiento inestable, con intensos brotes de dengue en varios países de la región. Las condiciones climatológicas se han mantenido favorables para la proliferación del mosquito Aedes aegypti su agente transmisor y se han visto ciertas alteraciones inusuales en su estacionalidad, afectando desde inicio del año a países centroamericanos e islas del Caribe en periodos considerados inusuales.

To date, the countries of the Region have reported a total of 344,346 cases of dengue, of which 7,838 are severe dengue. They have reported 144 deaths, with a regional fatality rate of 1.84%. This updates provides a breakdown by subregion (Central America and Mexico, Andean Subregion, Southern Cone, Caribbean) with the number of cases, severity, serotypes in circulation, affected areas, and measures taken, concluding with general recommendations for dengue prevention and control.

Over the past month, we have been detecting the appearance of confirmed outbreaks of acute diarrheal disease caused by rotavirus in several countries of the Region. In view of this situation, which is occurring in the period of greatest viral circulation, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recommends strengthening surveillance and implementing recommendations that contribute to controlling the spread of the disease.

Over the past month, we have been detecting the appearance of confirmed outbreaks of acute diarrheal disease caused by rotavirus in several countries of the Region. In view of this situation, which is occurring in the period of greatest viral circulation, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recommends strengthening surveillance and implementing recommendations that contribute to controlling the spread of the disease.

In the epidemiological week (EW) 30 of this year, Peru’s Ministry of Health reported the death of a confirmed case of human rabies transmitted by a hematophagous bat. This case occurred in the native community of Urakusa, district of Nieva, province of Condorcanqui, department of Amazonas. Another two cases of human rabies were reported in Colombia, one in the municipality of Piedecuesta, and the second, in Lebrija – both in the department of Santander. The department did not have a record of human rabies cases until 2008 and 2009, when one case was notified in each of these years respectively.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is currently registering 574 cases caused by wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) and 3 (WPV3) in non-endemic countries: Angola, central-Asian countries, Russia, Chad, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nepal, and western-African countries.

During Epidemiological Week (EW) 28 of this year, the Ministry of Health of Peru confirmed the first case of pneumonic plague in a 29 year old patient from the district of Chocope, province of Ascope, department La Libertad. The presence of buboes had not been identified in the patient. Subsequently 3 more cases were registered. They were confirmed by rapid test.