Climate change currently accounts for one in five cases of dengue Cases will rise as much as 60%, as parts of the world enter the temperature “sweet spot” for the mosquito-borne virus Some places could have cases rise as much as 200% MONDAY, Nov. 18, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- One in five cases of dengue fever can be linked to climate change, and future surges in the mosquito-borne virus are inevitable, a new study says. About 19% of current dengue cases can be tied to climate change, which has expanded the area within which mosquitos transmit disease both in the United States and around the world, researchers report.
Even worse, climate change has the potential to spark a 40% to 60% spike in the disease by 2050, with cases increasing much as 150% to 200% in some areas. “As more and more of the U.S.
moves into that optimal temperature range for dengue, the number of locally acquired infections will likely rise, though it’s too early to say how that will affect the global burden,” said senior researcher Erin Mordecai , an infectious disease ecologist at Stanford University in California. Mosquitos that carry dengue progressively churn out more and more virus as temperatures rise into a specific range, from 68 degrees Fahrenheit to around 82 degrees, lab tests have shown. Regions around the world will face an increased risk from the virus as their temperatures reach that dengue “sweet spot,” researchers reported Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Society.