Dengue risk in Peru

Sanchiamarie wrote:

I’m currently living in Noumea, New Caledonia, and spraying my children against dengue carrying mosquitos has become an unfortunately necessary part of life. What is it like in Lima? Are you advised to spray every day?

Dear Sanchiamarie,

Welcome to the Peru forum of expat.com ....

Internet research indicates that between one-third and half of the world's population lives where dengue-carrying mosquitos are present.

In four trips totaling six months in Lima in the past three years, I do not recall seeing any mosquitos.  I have always stayed in the Miraflores sector.

Lima is in a desert and receives little rain, reducing the chances of still water accumulating and therefore limiting breeding incidences in which mosquito-lain eggs would be activated.

There was a dengue outbreak of 30 cases in 2013 in a lower-income neighborhood of south Lima called Villa María de Triunfo.  The health authorities apparently acted aggressively to alert folks in that area .. and limit the threat.  This is a relatively small number of cases as reported dengue cases have been over 200 million worldwide in some years.  In other years since 2016, reported cases have been far fewer in number.  World population is about 7.7 billion, according to various websites.

Historically in Peru, jungle areas have been much more prone to dengue problems than Lima.

High-elevation cities -- such as Quito, Ecuador, and Bogotá, Colombia -- have few mosquitos or other insects.  Lima, on the ocean at "sea level," does not have this altitude advantage.

cccmedia in Lima

Many thanks for your reply.
After further research it is not the dengue that worries me, but the air pollution. I think that will be the major factor in our decision to relocate.
All the best
Sanchia

Sanchiamarie wrote:

After further research it is not the dengue that worries me, but the air pollution. I think that will be the major factor in our decision to relocate.

I prefer to stay in Miraflores sector near the Larcomar mall that overhangs the Pacific Ocean.

It's not just the shopping and restaurants, it's the air quality near the ocean.  I believe the air here is much better than in the inland sectors where the factories and oversaturation of street traffic cause so much pollution.

cccmedia, three blocks from Larcomar

May 2023...

Presidenta Boluarte has declared most of Peru's

provinces to be in a state of emergency

as El Niño-boosted rainfall is provoking an

advanced state of risk for dengue fever.

Close to 120-thousand cases of dengue have

been reported in Peru, including 200 deaths.

Health officials are warning residents not

to enable mosquitos to access standing water,

a combination that results in dengue-producing

insect bites that can be fatal.

One piece of advice is don't fill your vases

with water.

Source... The Washington Post and other

         news outlets

Thank you for the update!