 "Dengue, Mosquito")
Dengue, Mosquito (Photo: Reuters)
Over the past few months, there has been an increase in dengue cases recorded globally. Since the beginning of 2024, more than 12 million dengue cases and more than 8,000 dengue-related deaths have been reported in 86 countries, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
With over 9 million cases this year, Brazil has recorded the most instances among these nations, followed by Argentina, Paraguay, Peru, and Colombia.
In the WHO Regions of Africa, the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and the Western Pacific, dengue is currently endemic in more than 100 countries.
The most badly impacted regions are the Americas, Southeast Asia, and Western Pacific, with Asia bearing the brunt of almost 70 per cent of the global disease burden. In addition, dengue is expanding over South America, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Europe.
Rising cases of Dengue 2024: What data says?
The World Health Organization (WHO) has received reports of an exponential increase in dengue cases from 505,430 in 2000 to 5.2 million in 2019. This indicates a remarkable increase in the prevalence of dengue worldwide in recent decades. Over the previous five years, dengue cases have increased dramatically worldwide, with a substantial escalation in the American region. The region reported nearly 7 million cases as of the end of April 2024, exceeding the 4.6 million cases that were reported as the yearly high in 2023.
In India, the majority states of fatal dengue cases can be found in Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Nonetheless, the true number of dengue cases continues to be underreported as the majority of cases are mild or asymptomatic and can be treated on their own. The true impact of the disease is also underestimated since a large number of cases are mislabeled as other feverish conditions.
Why are dengue cases rising this year?
The dispersal of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, two vectors of the dengue epidemic, has changed, especially in previously unaffected nations, and this has increased the chance of the epidemic spreading.
In addition, El Niño events in 2023 and climate change, which resulted in increased temperatures, heavy rainfall and high humidity have also had an impact.
Meanwhile, the Covid-19 epidemic has resulted in fragile health systems, and the situation has been made worse by political and financial instability in nations dealing with complicated humanitarian situations and significant population movements.
First Published: Sep 24 2024 | 3:13 PM IST
