This year has been a record breaking year for cases of dengue. The number of reported cases in Guatemala thus far in 2024 is up nearly 500% from this time last year! Among Central American countries, Guatemala has the most cases of dengue as well as the most deaths attributed to dengue.
Below is a "Health Alert" from the U.S. Embassy.
Here is a brief primer on dengue:
Dengue is viral disease.
Spread by mosquitoes.
Symptoms include fever, aches and pains, rash, nausea and vomiting.
1 in 20 infected individuals will develop Severe Dengue.
Complications of Severe Dengue include plasma leakage, bleeding, and shock.
Treatment for the above complications aims at repleting intravascular volume and reversing shock via administration of crystalloid and colloid intravenous fluids as well as blood transfusion when indicated.
Want more details regarding management of dengue? Here is a pdf copy of the CDC's pocket guide for managing dengue:
And, here is a link to a free online course offered by the CDC:
In summary, dengue is preventable (avoid mosquito bites) and severe dengue is managed with relatively simple clinical interventions (close monitoring + IV fluid +/- blood transfusion).
Thus, one could argue that death from dengue falls into the category of what Paul Farmer characterized as "stupid deaths"-deaths that could have been easily prevented or treated.
At our center, with your support, we are actively fighting to eradicate "stupid deaths."
Photo by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on Unsplash