Dengue cases could reach record highs this year, in part because global warming favors mosquitoes that spread the virus. The alert comes from the World Health Organization (WHO), as reported by Reuters online. About half of the world‘s population is now at risk, Raman Velayudhan, a specialist in WHO’s tropical disease control department, said in Geneva.
Dengue rates are on the rise globally, with cases reported since 2000 which have increased eight-fold to 4.2 million in 2022, the organization said. Europe has reported an increase in cases and Peru has declared a state of emergency in most regions. In January, WHO warned that dengue is the fastest-spreading tropical disease in the world and a “pandemic threat”.
Cases reported to WHO reached an all-time high in 2019 with 5.2 million in 129 countries, Velayudhan said.
And the world is on track for “over 4 million” cases this year, depending mostly on the Asian monsoon season.
Reported cases of the disease, which causes fever and body aches, however, warn the World Health Organization, represent only a fraction of the total number of infections as most cases are asymptomatic. The disease is fatal in less than 1% of people. A warmer climate is thought to help mosquitoes multiply faster and allow the virus to multiply in humans.
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