Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever in the Northwest of Mexico: A Two-Decade Analysis.

BACKGROUND

In Baja California Sur, Mexico, there are no records of dengue hemorrhagic fever in the state before 1995. Until now, there have been no published reports on the incidence rate.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the incidence rate of dengue hemorrhagic fever in Baja California Sur in the last two decades.

METHODS

We analyzed data on the total number of cases in the general population, incidence rate, age groups, gender, serotypes, and mortality data.

RESULTS

There were epidemiological outbreaks in 2003, 2006, 2010, 2013, and 2014. The year with the highest number of registered cases was 2003 (441 cases), with the highest incidence rate of 92.52/100,000. The age groups that were primarily affected were 15-24 and 45-64 years. The serotypes of dengue virus registered during those years were DENV-1 and DENV-2.

CONCLUSIONS

Dengue hemorrhagic fever in Baja California Sur has had cyclic patterns of occurrence in the last 20 years. Since 2003, the incidence rate of dengue hemorrhagic fever has greatly decreased.