[ti:Millions Infected with Dengue as Temperature Rises]
[al:Health & Lifestyle]
[ar:VOA]
[dt:2023-12-26]
[by:www.voase.cn]
[00:00.00]The disease dengue is spreading across the Western Hemisphere in numbers not seen since record-keeping began in 1980. 
[00:10.15]Experts are warning that rising temperatures and growing cities are increasing the rate of infection.
[00:19.46]More than 4 million cases have been reported throughout the Americas and the Caribbean so far this year, breaking a record set in 2019.
[00:31.10]Officials from the Bahamas to Brazil are warning of crowded health centers and new infections daily. 
[00:40.35]Reports say there have been more than 2,000 deaths across the wide area.
[00:47.60]Thais dos Santos is with the Pan American Health Organization, the area office of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Americas.
[01:00.29]She said diseases like dengue, "provide us a really good sentinel of what is happening with climate change."
[01:08.59]A lack of good sanitation and strong health systems have added to the rise in cases. 
[01:17.62]But experts say droughts and floods linked to climate change are causing greater spread of the virus.
[01:26.26]That is because stored water and heavy rains appeal to mosquitoes.
[01:32.32]Dr. Gabriela Paz-Bailey is chief of the dengue branch for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Puerto Rico.
[01:43.90]She noted that higher temperatures also are expanding the mosquito's habitat and helping the virus develop faster inside the mosquito.
[01:55.19]That leads to higher viral loads and a higher chance of transmission.
[02:02.74]This year's Northern Hemisphere summer was the hottest ever, with August about 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial period averages.
[02:14.64]And Copernicus, the European climate service, reported that 2023 is the second hottest year on record.
[02:24.68]Worldwide, more than 4.5 million cases of dengue had been reported as of early November.
[02:34.42]There have been more than 4,000 deaths reported in 80 countries.
[02:41.03]Countries like Bangladesh are seeing a record number of cases and deaths.
[02:46.79]The government in the South Asian country has reported more than 313,700 cases and more than 1,600 deaths. 
[02:57.70]Most of the deaths happened within three days of hospitalization.
[03:04.22]The mosquito that carries dengue also has been identified in 22 European countries, with local spread of the disease seen in France, Italy and Spain.
[03:16.98]In August, the central African country of Chad reported its first dengue outbreak in history.
[03:26.13]Dengue affects some 129 countries, with roughly half the world's population at risk, says the WHO. 
[03:35.69]Infected female mosquitoes pass the virus when they feed on animals.
[03:41.82]The sickness can cause severe headaches, fever, vomiting, rash and other signs.
[03:49.77]While most infected people do not get symptoms, severe cases can lead to plasma leakage and death.
[03:59.79]What is worse, experts say, repeated infections means a higher risk of developing severe dengue.
[04:08.09]The Caribbean also is battling an increase in cases. 
[04:13.19]The area had reported a 15 percent increase in confirmed cases by early October compared with the same period last year, says the Caribbean Public Health Agency.
[04:27.05]Officials on the French Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique declared an epidemic in August that is still ongoing.
[04:37.69]Martinique is reporting an average of 800 cases a week on the island of some 394,000 people.
[04:46.94]Meanwhile, Jamaica and the Bahamas declared an outbreak in September followed by Barbados in October.
[04:57.85]Poor countries struggle the most with dengue.
[05:01.09]Bad sanitation creates a good reproduction environment for infected mosquitoes.
[05:08.65]Poor housing conditions leave people at greater risk of exposure to mosquitoes. Dengue outbreaks can crush already poor and overworked health systems.
[05:22.53]Jeremy Farra is chief scientist for the WHO.
[05:28.34]He said dengue is very difficult to treat partly because patients often delay in seeking medical care. 
[05:36.56]The virus can progress so quickly, he said. Treating those with the disease requires very close patient supervision and a lot of time.
[05:49.12]Farra said, "Imagine that you have a thousand people like that requiring all that delicate clinical care. It can very quickly overwhelm a system."
[06:00.60]I'm Dan Novak.