Argentina Braces for Worst Dengue Season Amid Insect Repellent Shortage
BUENOS AIRES — As Argentina gears up for what is expected to be its worst-ever dengue season, the country is facing a severe shortage of insect repellent.
Dengue, a potentially deadly mosquito-borne virus, has already infected hundreds of thousands of Argentines, causing widespread concern among residents.
Despite the development of a dengue vaccine, which is still in early stages of rollout, most people rely on preventive measures such as insect repellent to protect themselves from the virus.
However, residents are reporting that it has become nearly impossible to find repellent in stores. Many supermarkets and pharmacies have put up “no repellent” signs, and those few places where it is still available are selling it at exorbitant prices, especially online.
The government has acknowledged the shortage, attributing it to a “bottleneck” that is expected to be resolved in the coming days. Minister of Health Mario Russo described it as a “problem between supply and demand.”
According to sources from a local repellent manufacturer, the shortages were a result of a forecasting error and the lengthy manufacturing process required to produce the product.
The country’s health ministry has reported over 163,000 cases of dengue fever in 2024, with fatalities recorded across all age groups, particularly among those over 80 years old.
With dengue cases on the rise in the Americas, Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay have been hit the hardest, accounting for the majority of cases and deaths. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has warned that this could be the worst outbreak in the region to date.
Experts have linked the spike in dengue cases to global warming and El Nino, creating ideal conditions for the virus to thrive. The UN health agency has cautioned that the current season could be the most severe on record. — BBC
