WHO prepares for viral diseases associated with El Niño – 06/21/2023 – Health
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The World Health Organization (WHO) is preparing for a greater spread of viral diseases such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya, associated with the El Niño climate phenomenon, the agency’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday ( 21).
El Niño, a warming of water surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean, has officially returned after three years of its climate partner La Niña. It is likely to produce extreme weather later this year, from tropical cyclones heading towards vulnerable Pacific islands to heavy rains in South America or droughts in Australia and parts of Asia.
“WHO is preparing for the very high probability that 2023 and 2024 will be marked by an El Niño event, which could increase the transmission of dengue and other so-called arboviruses, such as Zika and chikungunya,” said Ghebreyesus.
The WHO chief also warned that climate change is fueling mosquito breeding, and the incidence of dengue has already increased sharply in recent decades, especially in the Americas.
Peru declared a state of emergency in most of its regions this year, and its health minister, Rosa Gutiérrez, resigned amid a surge in dengue cases. The disease is transmitted by mosquito bites. Aedes aegyptiwith symptoms that include fever, pain in the eyes, head, muscles and joints, nausea, vomiting and fatigue.
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