First documented outbreak of dengue in the Peruvian Amazon region

This article describes a classical dengue outbreak caused by dengue serotypes 1 and 4 that occurred from March to July 1990 in the city of Iquitos and surrounding areas of Loreto Department in the Peruvian Amazon. Epidemiologic data indicate that more than 150,000 persons may have been affected in Iquitos alone. Another dengue outbreak occurred in Tarapoto, a city in the neighboring department of San Martín. Laboratory data indicate that the same dengue serotypes were involved in both outbreaks. No cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever/shock syndrome appear to have occurred. Prior to this outbreak, no indigenous dengue cases had been documented in Peru.