Synchrony of dengue in Latin America: why national strategies are failing and how the region can respond together
Authors
-
Lazaro Gil Gonzalez
Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3042-8919
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70099/BJ/2025.02.04.17Keywords:
Dengue, Latin America, surveillance systems, regional approachAbstract
Dengue transmission in Latin America has reached its highest levels in recorded history, revealing a structural failure: the region continues to respond to a continental-scale phenomenon with fragmented national strategies. Accumulating evidence shows that dengue epidemics across Latin America are synchronized in time—driven by climate variability, human mobility, shifting serotype dominance, and co-circulating arboviruses. This synchrony sharply limits the effectiveness of isolated national responses, leaving countries repeatedly surprised by epidemic waves that propagate across borders. In this Viewpoint-informed analysis, we synthesize current scientific evidence and argue that Latin America must transition from reactive, country-by-country control to a coordinated regional strategy built on integrated surveillance, open data, joint early-warning systems, and cross-border policy governance. Only through regional cooperation can the continent anticipate and mitigate the coming cycles of large-scale dengue outbreaks.
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