SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — The Dominican Republic’s public health landscape for 2025 reveals a complex epidemiological picture with both concerning increases and significant improvements across various disease categories, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Public Health’s National Directorate of Epidemiology.
While several pathogens remained under special epidemiological surveillance throughout the year—including respiratory viruses, dengue, malaria, leptospirosis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus in non-neonatal ages, and meningococcal disease—only three showed increased case numbers compared to 2024: leptospirosis, pertussis, and meningococcal disease. All other monitored conditions demonstrated declining incidence rates as the epidemiological year approached its conclusion.
The nation’s sentinel surveillance system detected multiple circulating respiratory viruses throughout 2025, comprising influenza A(H1N1) pdm09, influenza A (H3N2), influenza B Victoria, adenovirus, SARS-CoV-2, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), parainfluenza, and metapneumovirus. Notably, the final four weeks of the year witnessed a substantial surge in respiratory cases, primarily driven by RSV activity.
According to the epidemiological bulletin for week 51 (through December 19, 2025), confirmed case numbers stood at: 325 dengue infections, 874 malaria cases, 182 leptospirosis incidents, 1 human rabies case, 12 diphtheria patients, 22 non-neonatal tetanus occurrences, 47 pertussis infections, and 34 meningococcal disease cases. The report also documented 174 maternal deaths and 1,789 infant fatalities.
RSV demonstrated a distinctive seasonal pattern, with analysis revealing significant increased activity between epidemiological weeks 43 and 46, followed by a declining trend through week 50. Health authorities attribute this pattern to multiple factors including holiday population dynamics, weather conditions, and interactions among respiratory viruses.
The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) simultaneously reported increased global circulation of influenza A(H3N2) subclade K virus (J.2.4.1), particularly in European and East Asian regions where it accounted for nearly half of sequences reported between May and November 2025. The international health body recommends strengthened genomic surveillance, maintained high vaccination coverage, and preparedness for potentially early or intense activity during the 2025-26 season.
The Dominican Republic’s public health achievements in 2025 include zero cases of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and rubella, attributed to sustained vaccination campaigns and robust epidemiological surveillance. The country recorded no cholera cases (100% reduction), a 76% decrease in dengue cases, and a 17% reduction in malaria infections compared to 2024. Maternal mortality declined to 163 deaths from 170 in 2024, while infant mortality dropped 18.93% to 1,764 fatalities through week 51 compared to 2,176 during the same period last year.