From Editor’s Desk…
The number of dengue fever infections in Central and South America has nearly tripled to a record high this year, despite Egypt being proclaimed malaria-free after a century of efforts, according to the Pan American Health Organization. Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilization, but the disease that plagued pharaohs is now part of its history, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
At the same time, another viral outbreak caused by the Oropouche virus from the Peribunyaviridae family was reported in August 2024, and three more countries and one territory (Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, and the Cayman Islands) reported confirmed Oropouche virus disease in the Americas in 2024. Furthermore, imported Oropouche cases have been documented in Canada, the United States, and other European countries.
The Region of the Americas, which includes ten different nations and one territory; Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, Peru, and the United States of America has reported 634 11 confirmed Oropouche cases as of November 25, 2024, including two confirmed fatalities.
In light of the region beginning arbovirus season, WHO advises vulnerable nations to improve entomological and epidemiological surveillance as well as population prevention efforts. This is important because of the virus›s geographic spread and potential novel vectors and routes of transmission, including vertical transmission, which might impact vulnerable populations like unborn children, pregnant women, and their fetuses.
Dr. Khalid Mohammed Alabdulwahhab
Editor in Chief
Key words: Editorial
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