Dengue risk rises in Peru and Honduras as heavy rains intensify

Health officials warn of a looming dengue surge in Piura, Peru, as the region experiences severe El Niño‑related rains. Public‑health specialist Julio Barrena said the conditions could repeat the 2017 and 2023 outbreaks, which saw up to 80,000 cases and dozens of deaths, and cautioned that the health system could become overwhelmed. He urged authorities to secure medicines, train staff and project needs for treatments such as uvi‑c‑lin, serums and paracetamol.

In Honduras, doctor and deputy Carlos Umaña linked unusually heavy rainfall and climate‑change effects to the start of a new national dengue outbreak. About 3,935 cases have been reported, including 67 severe cases, and a 22‑year‑old woman became the first recorded dengue death of 2026. The disease has spread from the dry corridor of Choluteca to San Pedro Sula, Copán and Santa Bárbara, prompting calls for community cleanup of mosquito breeding sites.

Both countries highlight how intensified rainfalls and rising temperatures are expanding the range of the dengue‑carrying mosquito, raising the threat of epidemics across the region.