SOUTH AMERICA

South America is a large and heterogeneous subcontinent that extends from 12°27' north to 53o54' south, with islands excluded from consideration, and from 34°77 west to 81°19' west, with islands also excluded. Its landmass is 17,840,000 square kilometers (6,890,000 sq mi), or almost 3.5% of the Earth’s surface, with a population of roughly 370 million. Intense urbanization occurred during the twentieth century and is still ongoing, as well as increasing migration has contributed to the present distribution of infectious diseases in the subcontinent. Although there has been significant improvement in health conditions, several infectious diseases are still endemic and epidemic in South America. Their distribution is far from homogeneous, and considerable differences in disease surveillance account for much of this distribution. According to the Pan American Health Organization, approximately 500 million people in the Americas, notably in South America, are at risk of dengue.