The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning that the global increase in dengue fever, a mosquito-borne disease, is being ascribed to climate change, socioeconomic factors, and greater global travel.
Climate change causes rising temperatures, humidity, and rainfall, allowing Aedes mosquitos, the virus's carriers, to proliferate. Diana Rojas Alvarez, WHO team lead on arboviruses, underlines the temperature sensitivity of these mosquitos, which affects their growth and the virus's incubation period.
According to WHO data, dengue incidence has increased tenfold during the last two decades, reaching 5.2 million cases in 2019. The continued transmission, combined with an unanticipated increase in incidence this year, has resulted in over 5 million illnesses and over 5,000 dengue-related deaths in 80 countries and territories. Approximately 4 billion individuals, or nearly half of the world's population, are at risk of infection.
In 2023, Rojas Alvarez emphasizes the changing distribution of mosquitos as a result of environmental conditions, climate change, and the El Nio phenomena. Countries that were previously free of dengue fever, such as France, Italy, and Spain, are suddenly reporting instances. The World Health Organization is concerned about dengue epidemics in conflict-hit nations in the Eastern Mediterranean region, and Africa is one of the top four regions most affected by arboviral infections.
While Africa has combated mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, the behavior of Aedes mosquitos that spread dengue necessitates alternative control strategies. Climate change-induced increases in rainfall and humidity have aided the spread of mosquitos carrying the virus to new areas, including Europe and parts of the Americas. To combat the silent transmission of dengue, the WHO recommends monitoring, preparedness, and steps to minimize mosquito populations. The general public is asked to use insect repellent, cover up during peak mosquito activity times, and remain vigilant in tropical and southern hemisphere countries where dengue seasons are coming.
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