In Panama, the Ministry of Health is alerting about the increase in dengue cases in the country. As of epidemiological week No. 16 (April 13 to 19, 2025), a total of 4,532 accumulated dengue cases have been reported nationwide, with varying levels of severity. The main symptoms of this disease include fever, headache, general malaise, muscle pain, and eye pain.
According to the report from the Department of Epidemiology of the Ministry of Health, the San Miguelito Region has the highest number of cases, with 1,136 reports, followed by the Metropolitan Region with 913 cases. Other affected regions include Panama North, Panama West, Los Santos, Bocas del Toro, Chiriquí, Colon, Veraguas, Herrera, Panama East, Darién, Coclé, Ngäbe-Buglé comarca, and Kuna Yala.
To date, 386 patients have been hospitalized who required inpatient treatment, and six deaths related to dengue have been recorded in several regions of the country. The national incidence rate in epidemiological week number 16 of 2025 was 99.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, primarily affecting people between 15 and 59 years old.
The Ministry of Health emphasizes the importance of intensifying operations to reduce dengue cases through vector control teams in all health regions. The population is urged to collaborate in the elimination of mosquito breeding sites within and around homes, in order to prevent the transmission of dengue, Zika, Chikungunya, and other mosquito-borne diseases.
It is crucial to eliminate all containers that can accumulate unused water, such as cans, bottles, tires, among others, and not self-prescribe medication. Dengue is a serious and potentially fatal disease transmitted by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
A call is made to the population of Panama to take preventive measures, such as regular cleaning of their homes, elimination of mosquito breeding sites, and cooperation with health authorities to combat the spread of dengue during the onset of the rainy season.
