Doctors Worry the US could face future outbreaks of Dengue Fever – here’s Why
Doctors have warned that the US could become a breeding ground for the mosquito that carries the disease. They have also stated that the illness is quickly changing and that climate change could cause it to spread and affect more countries.
Doctors in the UK have warned that climate change could cause outbreaks of dengue, a mosquito-borne disease, as far north as the country.
This comes after a 44-year-old woman who was infected with dengue while visiting family near Nice in France last September returned to the UK and developed symptoms including fever, muscle pain, headache, and rash.
Her case was highlighted at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.
While 75% of infected people have no symptoms, 1% to 5% develop potentially fatal severe dengue.
A species of mosquito that spreads the virus, Aedes albopictus or the Asian Tiger mosquito, is now widespread in southern Europe and has been detected at UK ports several times in recent years.
Doctors fear that with the rapidly changing epidemiology of dengue, climate change could lead to local populations of the mosquito being established in the UK and other countries.