Metropolis Desk-
Dengue fever cases are expected to reach record highs this year, partly due to global warming benefiting mosquitoes that spread the disease.
The WHO warns that dengue is the world’s fastest-spreading tropical disease and represents a “pandemic threat.” The disease was first found in Sudan’s capital Khartoum, and Europe has reported a surge in cases.
The WHO warned that about half of the world’s population is now at risk. In 2019, reported cases reached an all-time high of 5.2 million cases in 129 countries. This year, the world is on track for “4 million plus” cases, depending on the Asian monsoon season.
Argentina is sterilizing mosquitoes using radiation that alters their DNA before releasing them into the wild. The disease causes fever and muscle pain, and most cases are asymptomatic.
A warmer climate is thought to help mosquitoes multiply faster and enable the virus to multiply within their bodies. The heatwave affecting the northern hemisphere is too soon to tell how it will affect the spread of the disease.
