"Health impacts of climate change aren't something we're waiting for, they're happening right now. After the storm, normally dry regions were struck by an outbreak of cases 10 times larger than normal - and the experts say that climate change is to blame. Their models revealed that 60 per cent of dengue fever cases in the hardest hit districts were caused by extreme rainfall and warm weather."
"Dengue fever is a deadly disease which affects millions of people each year, according to the World Health Organisation. This mosquito-borne disease can cause fever, rashes, and life-threatening conditions like haemorrhage and shock. Cases have surged more than tenfold since 2000, and the disease is now beginning to show up in regions where it has been historically absent."
"In March 2023, Peru was hit by a cyclone and a coastal El Niño weather pattern that brought extreme rain and heat to normally dry regions. Heavy rain and flooding in low-lying areas knocked out water and sanitation infrastructure, creating conditions for disease transmission."
A study by international researchers established a direct connection between climate change and disease outbreaks by analyzing Peru's 2023 dengue fever surge. Following a cyclone and coastal El Niño weather pattern, dengue cases in affected districts increased tenfold, with modeling showing 60% of cases—approximately 22,000 people—were caused by extreme rainfall and warm weather. Dengue fever, a mosquito-borne disease affecting millions annually, causes fever, rashes, and life-threatening complications. Cases have surged over tenfold since 2000 and are appearing in historically unaffected regions, including parts of the US. The research demonstrates that climate change health impacts are occurring now, not in the future.
#climate-change-and-disease #dengue-fever-outbreak #extreme-weather-events #public-health-crisis #environmental-health
Read at Mail Online
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