INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Dengue fever will become a major threat in the southern United States, southern Europe and new parts of Africa this decade, the WHO&s chief
scientist said, as warmer temperatures create the conditions for the mosquitoes carrying the infection to spread.The illness has long been a
scourge in much of Asia and Latin America, causing an estimated 20,000 deaths each year
Rates of the disease have already risen eight-fold globally since 2000, driven largely by climate change as well as the increased movement
of people and urbanization, Reuters reported.Many cases go unrecorded, but in 2022 4.2 million cases were reported worldwide and public
health officials have warned that near-record levels of transmission are expected this year
Bangladesh is currently experiencing its worst-ever outbreak, with more than 1,000 deaths.&We need to talk much more proactively about
dengue,& Jeremy Farrar, an infectious diseases specialist who joined the World Health Organization in May this year, told Reuters.&We need
to really prepare countries for how they will deal with the additional pressure that will come… in the future in many, many big
cities.&Farrar previously spent 18 years working in Vietnam on tropical diseases including dengue
He later headed up the Wellcome Trust global health charity and advised the UK government on its COVID-19 response before joining the WHO in
May this year.Farrar said the infection is likely to &take off& and become endemic in parts of the United States, Europe and Africa & all
regions where there has already been some limited local transmission & as global warming makes new areas hospitable to the mosquitoes that
That will put acute pressure on hospital systems in many countries, he warned.&The clinical care is really intensive, it requires a high
ratio of nurses to patients,& he said
&I really worry when this becomes a big issue in sub-Saharan Africa.&Most people who get dengue do not have symptoms, meaning case rates are
thought to be far higher than the reported numbers
Those who do can experience fever, muscle spasms and joint pain so severe it is known as &break-bone fever.& In severe cases & less than 1%
& it can be fatal.There is no specific treatment for dengue, although there is a vaccine available
Earlier this week, the WHO recommended Takeda Pharmaceuticals& Qdenga vaccine for children aged 6 to 16 in areas where the infection is a
significant public health problem.Qdenga is also approved by the EU regulator, but Takeda withdrew its application in the United States
earlier this year, citing data collection issues
Takeda said it was still in talks with the U.S
Food and Drug Administration about the vaccine.Preparing new regions of the world to deal with dengue means ensuring that any public health
funds get spent in the right areas, Farrar said, including on the best way to control the mosquito.Dengue is spread by infected Aedes
aegypti mosquitoes, which behave differently to the malaria-carrying kind
For example, they bite people indoors, and they bite all day rather than overnight
They also breed in very shallow water.Farrar said proper prevention would include triaging plans for hospitals as well as scientific
innovation alongside other key factors, such as urban planning, to avoid areas of standing water near or in houses.&We need to combine
different sectors that are not used to working together,& he said.The post Dengue will ‘take off& in southern Europe, US, Africa this
decade, WHO scientist says first appeared on Ariana News.
