Global landmark: 2023 marks the worst year for dengue cases with millions infected and thousands of deaths reported

Abstract

Objectives: In 2023, the world experienced the worst dengue virus (DENV) outbreak on record. The study aimed to identify global regions and continents with high burden of dengue in 2023.

Design: We collected data on the number of DENV cases and deaths reported by various countries to the World Health Organization and World Health Organization regional offices. We estimated DENV cases per million population and case fatality ratio (CFR) among the confirmed cases reported by each country.

Results: Overall, in 2023 more than 6.5 million cases and over 6,800 deaths attributed to DENV were recorded globally, marking a historic milestone. Two distinct hotspots of DENV circulation emerged: South America and South and Southeast Asian regions. South America reported the highest number of cases (3,924,992), and 1,946 deaths, with a CFR of 0.05. In Asia, 1,622,405 cases and 3,637 deaths were reported, with a CFR of 0.22. We observed a statistically significant difference in the number of cases and deaths per million across different continents (P-value <0.001). However, the CFR did not differ significantly across continents (P-value = 0.123).

Conclusions: The increased cases and mortality highlight the urgent need for a comprehensive global approach aimed at DENV infection control, including vaccine development, vector control, public health initiatives, and improved clinical management.

Keywords: Climate change; Dengue outbreak; Dengue surveillance; Dengue vaccine.