The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Spike in dengue fever cases due to global warming, warns WHO
Global warming that is marked by higher average temperatures, precipitation and longer periods of drought could prompt a record number of dengue fever infections worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday.
“About half of the world's population is at risk of dengue, and dengue affects approximately 129 countries,” said Dr Raman Velayudhan, WHO’s Head of the Global Programme on control of Neglected Tropical Diseases. “We estimate that about 100 to 400 million cases are reported every year. This is basically an estimate and the American region alone, for example, has reported about 2.8 million cases and 101,280 deaths.”
Dengue, also called breakbone fever, is the most common viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people. Most people with dengue do not have symptoms and recover in one to two weeks. But some people develop severe dengue and need hospital care.
“In some cases, especially when you get the infection for the second time, which we call a secondary infection, this can lead to severe dengue and it can be fatal too,” explained Dr. Velayudhan, briefing journalists at the United Nations in Geneva.
Dengue is spread by the Aedes species of mosquito. The disease is more common in tropical and subtropical climates. Its incidence has grown dramatically worldwide in recent decades, Dr. Velayudhan explained.
“In 2000, we had about half a million cases and today in 2022 we recorded over 4.2 million cases, which really shows an eight-fold increase. And, this can be much higher as we get more and more accurate figures.”
Asia represents around 70 per cent of the global disease burden and the future outlook is bleak, according to the WHO expert. In Europe, the Aedes mosquito is established and dengue and chikungunya infections have been reported for more than a decade.
“European countries are also on alert because Europe had recorded an Aedes transmission of either dengue or chikungunya since 2010,” said Dr. Velayudhan. “We have had more outbreaks since then and it is estimated that the mosquito is present in about 22 European countries.”
Numerous factors in addition to climate change have driven the spread of dengue fever, such as the increased movement of people and goods, urbanization and pressure on water and sanitation.
“The mosquito manages to survive even when there is water scarcity,” said the WHO expert. “So, both during a flood situation as well as a drought situation, dengue can increase. The virus and the vector multiply faster at a higher temperature. This is a well-known fact.”
Dengue fever does not have a specific treatment and there is no direct drug intervention available. Usually, the disease is treated with medicines to treat fever and pain.
A dengue test takes two to three days to receive a reliable result.
Several new tools are under development that provide greater hope in preventing and controlling dengue, such as better diagnostics. A few antivirals are undergoing clinical trials.
“Two or three of these candidates are going through Phase Two trials and will move on to Phase Three, which is very promising,” Dr. Velayudhan said. “There is also one dengue vaccine in the market, which has got certain limitations, and two other candidates are actually in the pipeline and are under review.”
The UN health agency stresses that prevention is key. Because the mosquito bites during the day, it is important that people protect themselves at home, in schools and at work by spraying repellent around buildings.
Other protective measures include mosquito coils and sleeping under nets.
-ends-
- Exterior medium shot: UN Palais with flags
- Wide shot: moderator behind podium and attendees at the press conference, screens with speakers on both sides of the podium
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Dr Raman Velayudhan, WHO Unit Head Global Program on control of Neglected Tropical Diseases coordinating dengue and arbovirus initiative: “About half of the world's population is at risk of dengue, and dengue affects approximately 129 countries. We estimate that about 100 to 400 million cases are reported every year. This is basically an estimate. And the American region alone, for example, has reported about 2.8 million cases and 101’280 deaths.”
- Wide shot: moderator behind podium and attendees at the press conference, screen with speakers on the side
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Dr Raman Velayudhan, WHO Unit Head Global Program on control of Neglected Tropical Diseases coordinating dengue and arbovirus initiative: “In some cases, especially when you get the infection for the second time, which we call a secondary infection, this can lead to severe dengue and it can be fatal too.”
- Medium shot: attendees in the foreground, screen with speakers in the background
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Dr Raman Velayudhan, WHO Unit Head Global Program on control of Neglected Tropical Diseases coordinating dengue and arbovirus initiative: “In 2000 we had about half a million cases and today in 2022 we recorded over 4.2 million cases, which really shows an eight fold increase. And actually this can be much higher as we get more and more accurate figures.”
- Medium shot: moderator behind podium and attendee at the press conference, screen with speakers on the side
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Dr Raman Velayudhan, WHO Unit Head Global Program on control of Neglected Tropical Diseases coordinating dengue and arbovirus initiative: “The European countries are also on alert because Europe had recorded an Aedes transmission of either dengue or chikungunya since 2010. We have had more outbreaks since then and it is estimated that the mosquito is present in about 22 European countries.”
- Medium shot: moderator behind podium at the press conference
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Dr Raman Velayudhan, WHO Unit Head Global Program on control of Neglected Tropical Diseases coordinating dengue and arbovirus initiative: “Also the high precipitation, increased temperature and even the mosquito manages to survive even when there is water scarcity. So both during a flood situation as well as a drought situation, dengue can increase. The virus and the vector multiplies faster at a higher temperature. This is a well-known fact.”
- Medium shot: attendee in the foreground, screen with speakers in the background
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Dr Raman Velayudhan, WHO Unit Head Global Program on control of Neglected Tropical Diseases coordinating dengue and arbovirus initiative: “There are very few antiviral research working on, and actually two or three of these candidates are going through phase 2 trials and will move on to phase 3, which is very promising. There is also one dengue vaccine in the market, which has got certain limitations, and two other candidates are actually in the pipeline and are under review.”
- Close shot: attendee taking a picture of the press conference
- Close shot: attendee typing
- Medium shot: moderator
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNHCR , WHO
The past two months of intensifying Israeli bombardment in Lebanon have been the “deadliest and most devastating” in decades as communities uprooted from the front line have continued to flee across the border to Syria, UN humanitarians said on Friday.
2
1
3
Edited News | UNOG
“State of Silence”: Diego Luna brings the fight to protect the press to the UN in Geneva
Mexican actor, producer and director Diego Luna has brought his fight to protect journalists all the way to the United Nations, in Geneva. Together with documentary director Santiago Masa, he is putting a spotlight on the silencing of investigative journalism in his country, and on the incredibly high price that many journalist have to pay in pursuit of truth.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
“Today marks the grim milestone of 1,000 days since the Russian Federation launched its full-scale armed attack on Ukraine. Our Office has verified that at least 12,162 civilians have been killed since 24 February 2022, among them 659 children. At least another 26,919 civilians have been injured,” UN Human Rights spokesperson Jeremy Laurance told the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
With COP29 in Baku now in its second - and final - week, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk has reiterated his call for urgent human rights-based climate action.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNIFIL , UNICEF , WHO
Lebanon: Increased violence along Blue Line and ‘horrific new normal’ for children
In southern Lebanon, peacekeepers have witnessed “shocking” destruction of villages along the Blue Line and ever-deeper Israeli ground incursions, while the situation of children across the country is becoming increasingly desperate, the UN said on Tuesday.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | UNRWA
The head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, confirmed on Monday that a large convoy of humanitarian aid was looted inside Gaza at the weekend, amid a near-total a breakdown in law and order and harassment of the agency’s staff by Israeli soldiers.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA
In the nearly 1,000 days since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, thousands of civilians have been killed, the country’s energy infrastructure is on the brink and drones terrify communities on the front line, the UN’s top aid official in the country said on Friday.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | OHCHR
Mexican actor, producer and director Diego Luna took a break from the big screen on Thursday to highlight the dangers faced by journalists in his country and beyond, condemning murders of reporters everywhere as “a scandal”.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA
Gaza: ‘People are losing hope’ as aid access is refused to north, warns UNRWA
Besieged northern Gaza is a place of dead bodies lying in the streets and hospitals running out of blood packs – a situation that’s “nothing short of catastrophic”, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence & Ajith Sunghay, Head of UN Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, on Gaza
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR
Sudan’s displaced have endured “unimaginable suffering” in their search for shelter from the country’s ongoing war, UN humanitarians warned on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
‘Exceptional achievement’: Humanitarians reach over 105,000 with polio vaccine in north Gaza
Despite ongoing attacks and access challenges, humanitarians have managed to inoculate over 105,000 children in north Gaza with the second and final dose of the oral polio vaccine, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.