Dengue Outbreak - Peru, 2023

What is already known about this topic? Dengue, a mosquitoborne viral disease, is endemic to Peru, with the annual number of cases ranging between 4,698 and 68,290 from 2017 to 2022. What is added by this report? In March 2023, a sharp increase in dengue cases in Peru occurred. In the first 30 weeks of the year, 222,620 cases (exceeding the previous 5-year average by a factor of approximately 10) and 381 dengue-associated deaths were reported. The Lima metropolitan area experienced a substantially higher incidence compared with historical levels, when few locally acquired cases were observed. What are the implications for public health practice? Dengue outbreaks can be abrupt and can strain health care systems, necessitating rapid outbreak detection in addition to intensive preparedness and efforts to strengthen response capacity at the primary care level.