12/14/2023

Dengue Fever Is Soaring Worldwide

Here’s what to know and how to stay protected

Governments and public health experts around the world are sounding the alarm about the record-high spread of one of the most notorious—and incurable—diseases, which about half the world is at risk of catching: dengue.

The mosquito-borne virus has a long history in warm climates but is now also emerging in regions in which it had been generally unheard—such as in Europe and parts of the U.S. By early December, there had already been more than five million dengue infections worldwide this year—a dramatic increase from some 500,000 cases in 2000—recorded across at least 80 countries and territories. More than 5,500 people have died so far in 2023, according to Save the Children.

In October, California announced its first case of locally-transmitted dengue virus. In March, dengue was found in Sudan’s capital Khartoum for the first time in the city’s record, putting its already underfunded healthcare system under serious strain. 

Please select this link to read the complete article from TIME.