“Dengue Cases Plummet in Quintana Roo: State Sees Dramatic Decline”

The state of Quintana Roo in Mexico has seen a significant drop in confirmed dengue cases over the last three months. The state, which was previously ranked fourth nationwide for dengue cases, has now dropped to tenth place. The average weekly incidence rate has fallen from 13.75 cases in April to 1.75 cases in June. This reduction is due in part to a 65% increase in laboratory testing by state authorities to confirm or rule out dengue.

As of July 10, Quintana Roo had recorded a total of 10,744 suspected dengue patients. Their samples were sent for laboratory testing, resulting in 838 confirmed cases, or 7.8% of the total. In comparison, during the same period last year, 20% of the 6,481 tested patients were confirmed to have dengue.

Flavio Carlos Rosado, head of the state department, said that coordinated efforts have been made to prevent vector-borne diseases from escalating, especially during the rainy season which encourages mosquito proliferation. "Our state epidemiologist is targeting the most sensitive areas to ensure that dengue cases do not increase. We are continuing with a proactive approach," he said.

According to data from the State Health Service (Sesa), 70% of the 838 confirmed cases were in the municipality of Benito Juarez, and one was in Othón P. Blanco. After Hurricane Beryl, preventative measures were increased in Tulum. Before the hurricane, Sesa conducted fumigations, checked ovitraps in 20 localities, and visited 9,718 homes for larval control. After the hurricane, these actions were implemented in other areas including Bacalar, Puerto Morelos, Isla Mujeres, and Lázaro Cárdenas.

Carlos Rosado emphasized the importance of residents' participation in prevention efforts. "I urge everyone to empty any containers, buckets, tires, soda caps, or vases that could hold water. The work done by residents is extremely important, in addition to the work done by our vector control teams," he said. In the 26th epidemiological week, the state department reported having fumigated 128,765 hectares, visited 374,351 homes for larval control, and eliminated 672.72 tons of potential mosquito breeding sites.