(VOR News) – Recent study findings reveal that climate change accounts for one in five dengue fever cases, and future epidemics of the mosquito-borne virus are inevitable.
Climate change causes 19% of dengue cases, according to research.
Climate change has expanded the geographical range of disease-carrying mosquitoes, both in the United States and globally.
Climate change may exacerbate the disease, potentially resulting in a forty to sixty percent increase by 2050, with certain locations facing a rise of one thousand five hundred to two thousand percent in case numbers.
Erin Mordecai, a senior researcher and infectious disease ecologist at Stanford University in California, asserted that “as an increasing portion of the United States enters the optimal temperature range for dengue, the incidence of locally acquired infections is expected to rise.” Nevertheless, it is premature to determine the impact of this on the global illness burden.
Laboratory research results indicate that mosquitoes transmitting the dengue virus generate an escalating quantity of the virus as temperatures increase within a specific range, from 68 degrees Fahrenheit to around 82 degrees.
During the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in New Orleans on Saturday, researchers indicated that global regions will face an increased risk of contracting the virus as temperatures approach the optimal range for fever.
Researchers concluded that at least 257 million individuals reside in areas where climate change may elevate cases during the next 25 years.
Alongside aches and pains, nausea, vomiting, and a rash, the predominant symptoms of dengue fever encompass aches and pains. Research findings indicate that more severe cases of dengue result in extreme joint pain, so the sickness is referred to as “breakbone fever.” Severe cases also result in hemorrhagic complications and shock.
Pharmacological dengue treatment is unavailable.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States advise persons to take acetaminophen, increase fluid intake, and rest to reduce temperature and relieve pain.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that a dengue vaccine is accessible in the United States for children aged 9 to 16 who have already contracted dengue and live in areas where the disease is endemic. The study encompassed 21 countries across Asia, North America, and South America, with researchers analyzing data on cases and climate variability in these nations.
Their findings indicate that the number of dengue cases reported in the Americas in 2024 was roughly 12 million, representing a substantial rise from the 4.6 million cases recorded in 2023.
California and Florida have documented cases of locally acquired illnesses.
Stanford University announced that Mordecai remarked, “climate change has already emerged as a substantial threat to human health, and specifically regarding dengue, our data indicates that the situation could deteriorate significantly.”
The study’s findings suggested that substantial decreases in greenhouse gas emissions could lower the projected sixty percent rise in cases by 2050 to merely forty percent. Nonetheless, even in the most optimistic scenarios, 17 of the 21 examined nations will continue to encounter rises in fever attributed to climate change, as per the study.
Regions previously identified as dengue fever transmission areas, including specific locations in Peru, Mexico, Bolivia, and Brazil, may witness substantial increases in incidence, with illness rates rising by 150 to 200 percent over the forthcoming decades.
Mordecai suggests that the threat of fever exacerbated by climate change is likely understated by these data. Significant areas of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia exemplify places that do not consistently track dengue infections. This explains why numerous regions that could be impacted by the disease are not touched.
Mordecai indicated that experts could not quantify the future implications for areas like the southern United States, where dengue fever is starting to manifest as a local issue.
Given that these findings were presented at a medical symposium, it is essential to maintain their preliminary status until they are published in a peer-reviewed publication.
SOURCE: USN
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