Dramatic increase in arbovirus outbreaks from Zika to Chikungunya, climate change effect weighs too
“The incidence of infections caused by arboviruses – such as Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya – has grown significantly worldwide in recent decades. About half of the world’s population is now at risk of dengue, with the number estimated at 100-400 million of infections that occur every year”. This is the picture drawn up by the World Health Organization which today provides an update on the situation of these diseases, which spread from mosquitoes to people and “are causing an increasing number of outbreaks around the world, with climate change, deforestation and urbanization which are some of the main risk factors”. Risk factors “allowing mosquitoes to better adapt to new environments and further spread the risk of infection geographically, including in the European region”.
All populations in areas where mosquito vectors are present are at risk, WHO warns, “but the impact is greatest among the most vulnerable people, for whom arboviral disease programs do not have sufficient resources to That is why WHO launched the Global Arbovirus Initiative last year which aims to address emerging and re-emerging arboviruses with epidemic and pandemic potential, focusing on risk monitoring, pandemic prevention , preparedness, detection and response, and building a coalition of partners”.
Source-www.adnkronos.com