A three-year-old boy from Tlajomulco has become the first confirmed fatality in Jalisco this year as a result of dengue, the mosquito-borne viral infection.

Four other cases are still under review, State Health Secretary Fernando Petersen said. Last week, 59 new dengue cases were confirmed, bringing the total in 2023 to 295, he reported.

Last year, there were only 68 registered cases, with no deaths. The exact number of cases, however, is never really known, since many people who get dengue won’t have symptoms. For those that do, the most common symptoms are high fever, headache, body aches, nausea and a rash.

While most cases are mild, the severe form of dengue fever, called dengue hemorrhagic fever, can cause serious bleeding, a sudden drop in blood pressure (shock) and, sometimes, death.