DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Since the United Arab Emirates witnessed its heaviest recorded rainfall ever three months ago, the desert nation has issued a multitude of warnings about dengue which, activists say, has surged and struck hardest among the vast populations of laborers. The tropical disease, spread by mosquitos, has witnessed a worldwide spike. The World Health Organization declared it an emergency in December as cases have globally increased tenfold over the last generation.
Many people infected by the virus are asymptomatic, but some experience headaches, fever and flu-like symptoms. Severe cases can lead to serious bleeding, shock and death. In the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms, the disease has usually spread due to travel on long-haul carriers into the country.
However, on April 25, the Department of Health alerted that locally transmitted cases without travel history have been documented since 2023 "as a result of climate change and an environment conducive to mosquito breeding." Changes in weather patterns turn countries previously inhospitable to Dengue-carrying mosquitos into possible habitats. The April deluges, which flooded portions of major highways and Dubai’s international airport, only amplified the risk in the Gulf country.
While major thoroughfares quickly saw vacuum pumps arrive, others remained saddled for weeks with stagnant pools of water, where virus-carrying mosquitos lay their eggs and spread the disease. No official figure.