SCIENCE: THREAT OF DENGUE FEVER ESCALATES GLOBALLY
CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR 30TH JULY, 2023
SCIENCE: THREAT OF DENGUE FEVER ESCALATES GLOBALLY
WHO forecasts the possibility of record-level cases this year due to global warming favoring disease transmitting mosquitoes.
Dengue fever is caused by the Dengue virus (DENV). It is an RNA virus of the Flaviviridae family with four serotypes (DENV 1 to 4).
An infection with one serotype provides lifelong immunity to that type only, leaving the possibility of different serotypes causing subsequent severe infections. There is no specific antiviral treatment for dengue, so prevention relies on controlling mosquito populations and raising public awareness.
Since the beginning of 2023, several regions in America, particularly from the Southern Cone, have reported circulation of all four DENV serotypes. Similarly, Europe, with changing climatic conditions such as heat waves, floods have created favorable conditions for dengue-causing mosquito species to rise.
Sudan recorded its first ever dengue case in February even though it is not considered endemic in the Middle East due to unfavorable climate conditions. India too, with floods raging across the country, has some states battling with large numbers of dengue cases. Recently, Takeda released the first vaccine for the disease, which has been approved in a few countries.