Latin America dengue surge

In early July 2026, health officials in Panama issued an alert after a sharp increase in dengue cases, signaling the start of a regional uptick in the disease. By early August, Brazilian states in the south and centre of the country – Paraná and Goiás – reported their own dengue alerts. The Brazilian health secretariats linked the rise to El Niño‑driven weather, noting heavy rains in Paraná and a prolonged dry spell in Goiás that accelerate the Aedes aegypti mosquito cycle. Paraná cited a dramatic increase in dengue deaths since 2016, while Goiás recorded over 147,000 notifications and dozens of deaths, alongside growing chikungunya cases. Both states emphasized intensified prevention measures, including ovitrap monitoring, community education, Wolbachia‑infected mosquitoes, and free vaccination for adolescents. The progression shows dengue activity moving across multiple Latin American regions, prompting coordinated public‑health responses as climate conditions worsen the vector’s breeding environment.