During the southern hemisphere summer, South America is experiencing a sharp increase in cases of dengue, a mosquito-borne disease common in much of Latin America. The symptoms, or signs, of dengue are high fever, extreme tiredness, muscle pain, and internal bleeding. In Brazil, dengue is often called “breakbone fever” for the severe joint pain it causes. Sometimes, people with the disease show no symptoms. But dengue can be deadly. In Brazil, officials plan to start a new dengue vaccine campaign. The program, which could begin within days, will make Brazil the first country in the world to offer dengue vaccine. In January, Brazil also started spraying insecticide from trucks as the disease spread to earlier unaffected areas. Because of the increase in dengue cases, hospitals in Paraguay have set up health centers at night to care for the sick. In 2023, cases of dengue have set record highs in Latin America. Health official records show Argentina with a sharp increase of 12,500 cases of dengue last December. It is a big jump compared with the same period a year ago. The increase has led to health warnings and shortages of insect repellent.
