Opinion: A vacation surprise - when a mosquito bite leads to dengue fever

In a personal recount, Dr. Deborah Heaney shares her unexpected battle with dengue fever following a vacation mosquito bite, highlighting the disease's surge in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Deborah Heaney writes for The New York Times.

In short:

• Dengue fever, often overlooked, caught Dr. Heaney by surprise, revealing gaps in public and medical awareness.
• The disease is proliferating due to climate change, with 2024 poised to set new records in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Efforts to educate travelers, medical professionals, and the public on dengue fever and its prevention are urgently needed.

Key quote:

"We will be doomed to miss textbook cases like mine."

— Deborah Heaney, physician

Why this matters:

As global temperatures rise, the habitats suitable for mosquitoes are expanding. Warmer climates allow these mosquitoes to survive and breed in regions that were previously too cold for them, including higher altitude areas and more temperate zones. This expansion means that more people are at risk of dengue fever as these mosquitoes bring the disease to new areas.

Disease-carrying bugs, pollen-induced asthma and soupy, algae-filled lakes that might make us sick? Eh, no thanks.