Dengue has been a major public health threat in Latin America for decades, with epidemics occurring cyclically every three to five years. Transmitted by female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the virus affects millions of people every year, but never more than now. So far this year, more than 12.7 million suspected cases of dengue were reported in the Region of the Americas, a record number in the history of the disease.
National Red Cross Societies from around the Central American region have engaged in a comprehensive response, which encompasses a variety of strategies focused on prevention and education--including community-based surveillance (CBS).