PUERTO VALLARTA (PVDN) – Dengue, a viral infection transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, is poised to be one of the greatest public health threats Jalisco faces this summer, particularly in the wake of the rainy season. The illness has been causing significant health problems for the region’s residents for the past 14 years, hitting an all-time high in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area (ZMG) and Puerto Vallarta, densely populated and marginalized regions.
With July ushering in the hatching period for Aedes mosquito eggs, the state is on high alert. Rain accumulation in water containers, bottles, tires, and vases can lead to an explosion of larvae. In response, the state maintains vigilant surveillance with 14,589 ovitraps strategically placed across Jalisco during these 190 crucial days to preemptively mitigate dengue outbreaks.
Jalisco is stepping up for the third year in a row, deploying the “Jalisco against Dengue” strategy that features eight specific actions to curb the disease’s spread, particularly amid rising temperatures and heightened humidity. According to experts, the involvement of society is vital in thwarting dengue outbreaks in areas with a history of vector prevalence. To date, eight people have been confirmed to have dengue, with the risk of increase looming, potentially peaking in September and October.
Citizens are urged to implement and uphold preventive measures at home, eliminating mosquito breeding grounds and facilitating access for brigade members to destroy potential breeding sites. Over the last six-year term, official figures reveal a harrowing toll of 82 lives lost to dengue, with the worst hit years being 2019 and 2020, with 49 and 20 deaths respectively.
More than 20,100 people have reportedly suffered from dengue symptoms during this period, and the simultaneous circulation of the four serotypes (DENV1, DENV2, DENV3, and DENV4) in the country places them at an elevated risk of severe reinfection. In Jalisco, DENV2 is currently circulating, according to a research professor at the University Center of Health Sciences (CUCS), University of Guadalajara (UdeG).
“The main reservoir of the dengue virus is humans. When infected, in two weeks, if bitten by a female mosquito, it can already transmit the virus,” the professor explained. The fear is that the arrival of individuals infected with other serotypes could introduce those variants in the region.
Alarm bells are ringing over a potential spike in patients with severe dengue symptoms, as has been seen in the southeast of the country. Ana Gabriela Mena Rodríguez, the General Director of Public Health of the Ministry of Public Health, cautioned, “the risk increases when they already had a serotype and get infected by another. Hence, my chances of having severe dengue rise, with certain serotypes presenting more severe clinical pictures.”
Specialist Eduardo Rodríguez Noriega added that the timeframe to infect another person is between 8 and 12 days. He noted that a second dengue infection often results in severe inflammation. As Jalisco braces itself for this potential health crisis, public vigilance and preventative measures are key in combating the deadly disease.
