Global dengue surge sparks concern as cases top 5 million this year

The World Health Organization (WHO) sounded the alarm on the threat of dengue Friday as the mosquito-borne disease has spread to previously untouched countries, infecting over 5 million and killing more than 5,000 this year.

Nearly 80 percent of those cases, or 4.1 million, have been reported in the Americas, followed by Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific, Diana Rojas Alvarez, the health agency’s team lead on arboviruses, disclosed at the UN weekly briefing in Geneva.

Alvarez said climate change was partly to blame as it led to higher rainfall, humidity and temperature, enabling mosquitoes to thrive.

As there is no specific treatment for dengue, early detection and access to medical care can lower mortality rates due to severe cases.

The UN agency said reported cases skyrocketed to a record 5.2 million in 2019, a tenfold rise over 2000, across 129 countries.