There are many reasons why expats choose to live in the mountainous regions of Panama.  One is to stay out of the relentless heat and burning rays of the sun to remain cool and not have to live with an air conditioner all day long, but also to escape mosquitos.  We have all found that mosquitos do not like the highlands.  Mosquitos love warm standing water to breed and the beaches to feed.  There are 2,745 accumulated cases of dengue.  The regions of Panama Metro, Panama Oeste, Colón, Chiriquí and Panamá Este are the most affected.  The Ministry of Health (Minsa) presented a report covering the epidemiological panorama of Panama.  The data is alarming as mosquitos are rampant and Dengue looks like an unstoppable plague.  Dengue has devastated the tranquility of thousands of expats and Panamanians. With 2,745 cases accumulated nationwide, the figures echo the urgency and danger that lurks in our streets.  A number of years ago an expat neighbor in the highlands was diagnosed with Dengue.  He had been to the beach.

The regions of Panama Metro, Panama Oeste, Colón, Chiriquí and Panamá Este are the most affected, with numbers climbing.  While 2,437 cases cling to hope, 294 people fight against warning signs and 14, unfortunately, face this life threatening illness head on.  Minsa, in its desperate call, urges the population to clean their homes and workplaces as if their lives depended on it.  Because they do!  Get rid of standing water.  Spray or swat mosquitos.  Mosquitos are not your friends.  Malaria, with its 58 new confirmed cases, looms as an imminent threat over vulnerable regions such as Guna Yala, Darién, and the Ngäbe Buglé region.  Minsa deploys resources in the hope of containing this onslaught, distributing mosquito nets and medicines as a beacon in the darkness of the disease.

Leishmaniasis, with its 16 new cases, joins the group of diseases that affect Panamanians and expats. Although Zika and Chikungunya have not raised their ugly heads this year, the threat persists.  The Hantavirus, with its first death in Coclé and another case in Herrera, reminds us that death lurks in the dark corners of our homes and fields, so please get rid of any standing water where mosquitos can breed and use some sprays if you are out and about when mosquitos are looking for some blood for dinner.