Federal health officials are warning that dengue fever risks are elevated in the United States as cases in the Americas for the first half of 2024 are already more than double last year’s rates. This year has also set a record for global cases of the potentially fatal mosquito-borne illness, the Centers for Disease Control […]
Tag: dengue
CDC issues dengue fever alert in the U.S.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory Tuesday alerting authorities, health care providers and the public of the increased risk of dengue fever infections in the United States. The alert comes as an unexpectedly higher number of dengue fever cases have been reported across the nation, according to the CDC. A […]
Dengue fever, once confined to the tropics, now threatens the U.S.
Meg Norris was traveling in Argentina in April when the first signs of dengue fever hit her. The weather in Salta, just south of the Bolivian border, was warm, but Norris, a 33-year-old from Boulder, Colorado, zipped a fleece sweatshirt around her body to stop herself from shivering. “I thought it was sun poisoning,” she […]
West Nile Virus, malaria, dengue fever cases are cropping up in the U.S. Do I need to worry?
This week public health officials in Harris County, Texas confirmed that a mosquito sample collected in Houston had tested positive for West Nile virus . While mosquitos — and mosquito-borne illnesses — are more prevalent in the summer, local officials noted that recent severe storms in the Houston area had led to increasing mosquito activity. […]
Argentina faces rising dengue epidemic risk as mosquitoes hatch early
By Juan Bustamante and Lucila Sigal BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Mosquitoes are hatching earlier in Argentina and reaching cooler regions than before, as rising temperatures drive the country’s worst outbreak of dengue fever and raise the risk of more regular epidemics of the insect-borne virus, scientists said. So far in the 2023/24 season, the South […]
India’s Serum looks beyond COVID with new vaccines for malaria, dengue
By Manas Mishra PUNE, India (Reuters) – The CEO of the world’s biggest vaccine maker, Serum Institute of India, said the company has bolstered its manufacturing ahead of launches over the next few years of shots against diseases like malaria and dengue by repurposing facilities used to make COVID-19 immunizations. With COVID manufacturing scaled back […]
Biotech company bets on GMO mosquitoes to fight dengue in Brazil as cases surge
By Leonardo Benassatto (Reuters) – British biotechnology company Oxitec is betting on a solution to Brazil’s surging dengue cases, involving the release of genetically modified mosquitoes in an effort to reduce the viral infection’s spread. The firm has developed a version of the male Aedes aegypti mosquito which carries a gene that kills female offspring […]
Peru has declared a health emergency in most of its provinces as dengue cases soar
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Peru declared a health emergency in most of its provinces on Monday due to a growing number of dengue cases that are occurring at a time of higher than usual temperatures caused by the El Nino weather pattern. According to the nation’s health ministry, the number of dengue cases registered during […]
New dengue vaccine could have ‘huge impact’ on public health
Semafor Signals Supported by Insights from CNN, The Associated Press, and Vox The News A new single-dose dengue fever vaccine developed in Brazil was nearly 80% effective in a major trial. Other vaccines for the viral infection already exist, but they are costlier, require multiple doses, and are more complicated to administer. The vaccine could […]
Brazil on dengue fever alert ahead of carnival
Sao Paulo opened an emergency operations center Tuesday to deal with a surge in dengue fever cases that has hit Brazil and South America just as millions of tourists arrive for carnival celebrations. Cases of the mosquito-borne disease have also risen sharply in Argentina, where a record 10,000 cases were reported in the first three […]
Rio de Janeiro declares a dengue health emergency days ahead of Carnival
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Rio de Janeiro on Monday has declared a public health emergency because of an outbreak of mosquito-borne dengue fever, the city announced Monday, just days before Carnival celebrations kick off across Brazil. The outbreak wasn’t expected to derail Carnival, which officially starts Friday evening and runs until Feb. 14, but […]
Rio de Janeiro has declared a dengue health emergency days before Carnival is due to start
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Rio de Janeiro has declared a public health emergency because of an outbreak of mosquito-borne dengue fever, the city said in its official gazette on Monday, just days before Carnival celebrations kick off across Brazil. But the outbreak wasn’t expected to disrupt Carnival, which officially starts on Friday evening and […]