Argentina is running out of bug spray amid record surge of dengue fever

Bug spray is out of stock across Argentina as the country confronts its worst-ever outbreak of dengue, a mosquito-borne illness that’s surged across Latin America amid high heat and heavy rains.

Argentina reported 233,000 cases of dengue so far during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer — about eight times the number of case reported during the same week last year — and 161 deaths, according to its Health Ministry. Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina are the hardest hit, with more than 3.5 million cases,

83% of which are concentrated in Brazil, according to the Pan American Health Organization.

“This is reason for concern, as it represents three times more cases than reported on the same date in 2023, a record year with more than 4.5 million cases reported in the region,” PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa told reporters March 28.

Barbados, Costa Rica, Gaudeloupe, Guatemala, Martinique and Mexico have all seen surges, Barbosa said. Dengue is also known as the break-bone fever because of the high temperatures and severe aches it causes. While most infections get better after about 10 days, some cases require hospitalization. Those who are infected a second time have a greater risk of ending up in the hospital.

On Monday, President Javier Milei’s government lifted restrictions on imports of mosquito repellent for 30 days, including looser inspection requirements by local health authorities. In his first TV interview last week, Health Minister Mario Russo said the benefits of the waiver would take effect “probably within the next two weeks.”

SC Johnson, whose mosquito repellent dominates 80% of the local market, saw a 300% jump in demand compared with the same period last year, which they described as “unprecedented” in a press release last week. They now plan to import more than 120,000 canisters of bug spray from Poland. On Tuesday, the company flew in 20,000 cans from Mexico to donate across the northern provinces, which are experiencing the most severe outbreaks coupled with some of the highest poverty rates.