dengue fever
Newsletter
Credit: Mohamed Nuzrath/Pixabay
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.
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.
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Credit: Creative Solutionist/Pixabay
Dengue fever surges in Brazil, signals health risk for the Americas
In a significant health concern, Brazil faces a severe dengue fever outbreak, with the disease poised to spread throughout the Americas.
In short:
- Brazil anticipates more than 4.2 million dengue cases this year, exceeding last year's total for the entire Americas region.
- Factors like El Niño, climate change, and increased mosquito breeding sites are exacerbating the outbreak.
- The virus is expected to spread across continents, with higher risks in areas like Puerto Rico and the southern United States.
Key quote:
“When you’re looking at trends in numbers of cases in the Americas, it’s scary. It’s been increasing consistently.”
— Dr. Gabriela Paz-Bailey, chief of the Dengue Branch at the CDC.
Why this matters:
This dengue outbreak is a reminder of the need for urgent action in disease surveillance and prevention, particularly as the virus threatens to affect larger populations in the Americas, potentially leading to significant health challenges.
Zika, Dengue fever, West Nile disease, parasitic screw worms—all contracted from vectors attracted to the increasing heat and humidity—are infesting neighborhoods in the U.S. too.
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‘Deadliest outbreak ever seen’: Climate crisis fuels Bangladesh’s worst dengue epidemic
Mosquito-borne disease once largely limited to Dhaka spreads countrywide as higher rainfall and heat lead to fivefold rise in cases in a year, with children the hardest hit.
Newsletter
Credit: Agência Brasília/Flickr
Millions infected with dengue as hotter temperatures cause virus to flare
Dengue is sweeping across the Western Hemisphere in numbers not seen since record-keeping began in 1980 as experts warn that rising temperatures and rapid urbanization are accelerating the pace of infections.
As temperatures rise, Dengue fever spreads and cases rise
With temperatures and rainfall increasing, the mosquitoes that carry dengue viruses are extending their range. More than 4.5 million cases have been reported this year, and global climate models project an additional 2 billion people could be at risk of infection by 2080.
Dengue rates plunged after release of lab-altered mosquitoes
The world sees up to 100 million cases and 22,000 deaths due to dengue every year. Researchers may have found a way to cut those numbers significantly.
Photo by Erik Karits on Unsplash
What to know about dengue fever as cases spread to new places
Dengue, the excruciating mosquito-borne disease, is surging throughout the world and coming to places that had never had it. California just confirmed a rare U.S. case.
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