PARAMARIBO – In the Americas alone, almost 10.4 million suspected cases of dengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease, were reported to the World Health Organization in 2024 as of the first week of July, an increase of 232% compared with the same period the year before.

Most cases of dengue are mild and cause symptoms like fever, rash and muscle and joint pain. But when left untreated it can lead to persistent vomiting, bleeding from the gums and nose, difficulty breathing and death. Children are most at risk, especially those under age 5. Because some patients feel as if their bones are breaking, the virus has an ominous nickname: “breakbone fever.” Surinamese doctors have also expressed grave concern regarding the drastic increase in the number of dengue cases. Last year  dozens of dengue cases were registered at the clinics located throughout Paramaribo. The number of hospital admissions were also caused for concern. Several areas were also labeled as hotspots because of the spike in the number of dengue infections. One year later health officials are starting to see the same picture. Various areas are faced with a mosquito plague especially after the rainfalls…[+]