Honduras declares health emergency as Central America starts peak dengue season

Honduras has declared a national health emergency in response to a surge in hospitalizations and deaths from dengue. The government has instructed health officials to implement prevention and control measures and secure funds to manage the outbreak. Honduras has reported over 23,000 suspected cases of dengue, making it one of the highest totals in the Americas. The region has already recorded over 8.65 million cases in the first five months of 2024, nearly double the total for all of 2023. Central America and the Caribbean are entering their peak dengue seasons, while the southern cone of the Americas is seeing a decrease in infections.