WHat is dengue?
Dengue is a viral disease with mosquitoes, primarily Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, as vectors. Humans serve as the main carriers and multipliers of the virus, therefore, humans also serve as the source of the virus for uninfected mosquitoes (WHO). It is one of the world's fastest-growing and important infectious diseases. About 40 % of the world's population live in areas where dengue can be naturally and normally found (CDC). It is estimated that over 50 Million infections occur per year (Williams, 2015).
Reported cases of dengue from Dec 2014 to February 2015, view interactive map here.
Although the spread of dengue is not solely due to climate change, the intensity of outbreaks is likely to increase because of increasing temperature (Williams, 2015).
Symptoms
high fever
severe headache
joint pain
muscle/bone pain
rash
mild bleeding
dengue hemorrhagic fever
Dengue hemorrhagic fever
more severe form of dengue
can be fatal if treated improperly
Treatment
no specific medication
no vaccine
rest
fluid intake
use of pain relievers
possible hospitalization
“It is simplistic to assume that increased temperature will increase dengue incidence...temperature increase is likely to cause changes to the intensity of outbreaks...”