The World Health Organization released a report on the 21st saying that global dengue fever cases will surge in 2023. The number of reported cases so far has exceeded 5 million, which is close to the historical peak. The report said that since the beginning of this year, the dengue fever epidemic has continued to spread, with more than 5 million dengue fever cases and more than 5,000 dengue fever-related deaths reported around the world. Of these, approximately 4.1 million cases have been reported in the Americas.
The WHO said the number of cases is likely an underestimate because many cases are asymptomatic and reporting of dengue fever is not mandatory in many countries.
The WHO stated that the spread of dengue fever is related to multiple factors. For example, the distribution of vectors such as Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus has changed, especially in countries that were not previously affected by dengue fever; the El Niño phenomenon and climate change in 2023 will lead to rising temperatures, increased rainfall, and increased humidity; the public health systems of some countries are fragile due to various reasons.
The global incidence of dengue fever has increased significantly over the past two decades, posing a huge challenge to public health. According to WHO data, from 2000 to 2019, the number of reported cases globally increased from 500,000 to 5.2 million each year, with the number of cases in 2019 reaching a historical peak. (over)