As Peru dengue fever cases grow, key facts on virus symptoms, recovery

As millions of homes have been fumigated in the wake of Peru’s worst dengue outbreak on record, the country has declared a state of emergency in 18 of the country’s 24 regions to allow official action for “imminent danger from heavy rainfall,” Reuters initially reported this month. 

Peruvian health authorities said last week the outbreak was intensified by El Niño.

The weather phenomenon, a cyclical warming of the world’s oceans and weather, fuels tropical cyclones in the Pacific and Reuters reported Peruvian health authorities blamed it as a key driver for the uptick in cases, as mosquitoes prefer wet conditions.

The outbreak also led to Peru’s health minister resigning over criticism about her efforts to combat the outbreak, President Dina Boluarte announced Monday.

Here is what you need to know about the virus that has claimed the lives of 273 people and has infected 156,700 others, according to the latest Associated Press report.

A doctor writes a prescription as patients suffering from dengue lie in beds in provisional tents at the Health Ministry in Piura, Peru, Saturday, June 3, 2023. Dengue, a viral disease transmitted by a mosquito, causes flu-like symptoms, such as muscle pain and fever. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

ICYMI:At least 200 dead, more than 130,000 infected: Peru battles major dengue outbreak

What is dengue?

Humans become infected with any of the four related dengue viruses by the bite of an infected a species of mosquito known as the Aedes species, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A person can be infected with dengue multiple times over the course of their life. 

About  1 in 20 people who get sick with dengue experience a severe case. 

What are the symptoms of dengue?

Headaches and body aches, fever, nausea and rashes are some of the most common symptoms when infected, but most people who become infected are asymptomatic, the World Health Organization reports. 

If symptoms do occur, they become apparent within four to 10 days after infection.

The more times you become infected with dengue, the greater risk you are to develop more severe symptoms including but not limited to: severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, rapid breathing, bleeding gums or nose, or fatigue, WHO said.

How to recover from dengue?

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