Dengue fever outbreak in Argentina kills over 40

A severe outbreak of dengue fever in Argentina has killed more than 40 people and infected over 60,000, the media reported. Dengue is the most common viral infection that spreads from Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to people. It is more common in tropical and subtropical climates. Dengue symptoms include fever, headaches, nausea and aching joints. The north-western provinces of Salta, Tucuman and Jujuy, near Argentina’s borders with Chile and Bolivia, have recorded the highest numbers of deaths, the BBC reported. The last big outbreak to hit Argentina was in 2020. The country’s health ministry has, however, stated that dengue cases have started to plateau. Meanwhile, health officials have urged people to step up anti-mosquito measures, including mosquito netting on doorways and windows, use of insect repellent and removal of any water containers that may act as breeding grounds. They have also exposed the dominant type of mosquitoes to radiation in a bid to curb the spread of dengue. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the incidence of dengue has grown dramatically around the world in recent decades. About half of the world’s population is now at risk of dengue with an estimated 100-400 million infections occurring each year. The American region had reported 2.8 million cases and 1,280 deaths in 2022. This increasing trend is continuing in 2023 where till the end of March 2023, 441,898 cases and 119 deaths have been reported. Climate change, deforestation and urbanisation are some of the major risk factors that allow mosquitoes to adapt better to new environments and spread the risk of infection geographically further, the global health body said.