Dengue risk in Europe rises with climate change

The World Health Organization, together with experts, has issued a warning about dengue fever and other virus outbreaks in European countries. The increased risk of disease in the region has also prompted the UN to issue an epidemiological bulletin that helps prevent and fight infection.

It is known that viral diseases such as dengue, Chikungunya and Zika are endemic in tropical and subtropical regions.

They are transmitted by mosquitoes aedesThe best known is Aedes Aegypti, which acts as a vector for the spread of viruses.

Currently, the increase in dengue fever cases has caught the attention of health authorities in parts of Europe with more than 3,000 cases reported in the last three years.

According to information from the UN bulletin, cases of dengue fever were already reported in Southern Europe in the 1930s. However, after the epidemic, the disease disappeared.

But, Experts think that climate change, along with globalization processes, is the main factor in the return of arbovirus circulation on the continent.

Mosquito eggs are laid on dry surfaces that can range from small containers to container walls. The eggs remain viable for a long time and hatch when water is available.

But importing the vector is only one factor. Linking the chain of infection can help create new cases of contaminated but asymptomatic or misdiagnosed travelers.

Unlike some viral diseases, in which the body creates antibodies and effectively fights new infections, dengue takes a different course.

According to experts, reinfection can cause the disease to become more serious, which can lead to death.

Health officials are reflecting on the risks of spreading diseases that previously concentrated only in certain regions as a result of climate change.

Under this new scenario, countries should develop and prepare prevention plans with sanitary measures aimed at the well-being of the population, as well as promoting adequate management of newly diagnosed cases.