Brazil, Peru and Bangladesh top dengue cases in 2023, WHO official's dengue warning
European health officials announced Friday that the global total for dengue fever cases has exceeded 4.2 million in 79 countries in 2023 to date, which includes more than 3,000 dengue-related deaths. This equals last years numbers and will surely exceed it.
Countries reporting the most cases include Brazil (2,569,746), Peru (254,296) and Bangladesh (218,664). Other countries reporting more than 100,000 cases this year include Bolivia, Argentina, Mexico, the Philippines and Nicaragua.
Concerning fatalities, Bangladesh has reported 1,064 and Brazil with 912 top this category.
These are the officials number; however, many cases of dengue go unrecorded.
While most of the global dengue cases are recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean (3.5 million plus cases) and Asia and South Asia, a warning has been issued this week for other areas of the world.
World Health Organization (WHO) infectious diseases specialist Jeremy Farrar said dengue fever will become a major threat in the southern United States, southern Europe and new parts of Africa this decade, all places which reported some limited local transmission already in 2023.
Dozens of cases have been reported in Florida in the US and in southern Europe, Italy and France account for more than 70 locally transmitted cases, according to the latest data.
Warmer temperatures are creating ideal conditions for mosquitoes carrying the infection to spread.
The rates of the disease have already risen eight-fold globally since 2000.
It's been driven in large part by climate change, as well as the increased movement of people and urbanization.
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