Health authorities in Panama reported this Friday that 23 deaths from dengue and 13,844 cases of the disease have been recorded up to epidemiological week 43 (from October 19 to 25). According to the Ministry of Health's statistics, dengue cases in Panama have increased by 94%, and deaths will reach 52 by the end of 2024, almost triple the number recorded the previous year. The national incidence rate in epidemiological week 43 of this year is 303 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Deaths from the disease have been recorded in almost all regions of the country. The majority of infections are reported in people between the ages of 10 and 49, according to official information. 'The cocirculation of the four dengue serotypes in Panama, with a predominance of serotype DEN-3 and DENV-4, is the reason for the increase in severe and fatal cases,' adds the MINSA, which reiterates that dengue 'is a serious and potentially fatal disease transmitted through the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.' The Ministry of Health (MINSA) detailed that of the total number of cases as of October 25, 1,340 required hospitalization and 95 were classified as severe. The metropolitan area and San Miguelito, in the capital, have the majority of cases, with 6,703, and deaths, with five.
Panama: Dengue outbreak leads to increase in mortality
Panamanian health authorities report a sharp increase in dengue cases, with 23 deaths and over 13,000 cases recorded. The disease has spread across all regions, especially the capital area.
