2023-07-25 00:00:46
About half of the world’s population is now at risk of dengue fever, with an estimated 100 to 400 million infections per year, the UN’s world health agency said on Friday.
According to the World Health Organization (OMS), the incidence of dengue fever has risen dramatically worldwide in recent decades, particularly in the Americas, where 2.8 million cases and 1280 deaths were reported last year. This upward trend continues in 2023, with already nearly 3 million reported cases including more than 1300 deaths.
In this region, more than 3900 (0.13%) were classified as severe dengue. The highest number of dengue fever cases was observed in Brazil, with 2,376,522 cases, followed by Peru with 188,326 cases, and Bolivia with 133,779 cases.
The southward spread of cases is of growing concern. Peru has also declared a state of emergency due to the worst dengue epidemic ever recorded in the country.
The Aedes mosquito present in more than 24 European countries
“The number of cases reported in Peru so far this year is more than double that reported in the same period last year and these figures are more than four times higher than the average recorded for the past five years,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday during his weekly press conference.
In the Middle East, a large number of cases have been reported in Sudan (8239 cases and 45 deaths) since July 2022. According to the WHO, dengue fever cases have been reported in Egypt in recent weeks.
“It’s relatively early to get reports from Asia, but the trends are worrying: Asia typically accounts for around 70% of the global disease burden,” Dr. Raman Velayudhan, head of the Global Neglected Tropical Diseases Program, coordinating the dengue and arboviruses initiative, told a UN press conference in Geneva.
In Europe, the Aedes mosquito is present in more than 24 countries and cases of dengue fever and chikungunya have been regularly reported since 2010.
The disease is more common in tropical and subtropical climates. Most people who get dengue do not have symptoms. But for those who do, the most common symptoms are high fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and rashes.
The very high probability of El Niño and the risks of increased dengue transmission
People who have dengue for the second time are more likely to develop severe dengue symptoms.
But its incidence has increased “dramatically” worldwide in recent decades, with cases reported to the WHO rising from half a million in 2000 to more than 4.2 million in 2022, regarding 8 times more in two decades.
According to the WHO, several factors are behind this spread. These include the increased movement of people and goods, but also urbanization and the resulting water and sanitation problems.
The WHO also points to the continued spread of mosquitoes to new regions and countries.
It is in this context of concern that the UN agency is preparing for the very high probability that the years 2023 and 2024 will be marked by the El Niño phenomenon, a scenario that might increase the transmission of dengue fever and other arboviruses such as the Zika and chikungunya viruses.
Climate change will promote the spread of dengue fever and chikungunya
For the UN health agency, the effects of climate change also favor the reproduction of mosquitoes and the spread of these diseases.
“Heavy rainfall, temperature rise and even water scarcity favor mosquito breeding,” Dr. Velayudhan added, noting that the virus and vectors multiply faster at higher temperatures.
To address this threat, the WHO launched the Global Arbovirus Initiative last year. It aims to strengthen the world’s ability to prevent, detect and respond to outbreaks of these diseases.
In the field, WHO provides technical support to countries, through monitoring of epidemic outbreaks and strengthening cross-border exchange of information.
“We are working closely with countries under the Global Arbovirus Initiative to join forces to fight some of the most dreaded mosquito-borne diseases,” Dr. Velayudhan said, noting that several new tools are under development.
States rely on several vector control tools, including Wolbachia, a technique to reduce the ability of mosquitoes to transmit viruses such as Dengue, Zika, Chikungunya and yellow fever. In addition, some antivirals are undergoing clinical trials. According to the WHO, one vaccine is on the market and two are in the final stages of testing and review.
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