The US medical community is raising concerns about a global outbreak of dengue fever. The World Health Organization (WHO) had declared an emergency due to the disease last December, but the situation has worsened in the past six months.
In the Americas alone, there have been 9.7 million cases reported this year, a significant increase from the 4.6 million cases reported in all of 2023.
Dengue fever, primarily transmitted through mosquitoes, is less common in the mainland US. However, the number of cases in the US has tripled compared to last year.
The disease starts with high fever, chills, joint pain, and nausea. While the prognosis for ordinary dengue fever is generally favorable, the hemorrhagic variety has a fatality rate of 50%.
Currently, there are no reliable drugs or vaccines available for dengue fever.
