World Health Organization officials announced on Wednesday that Dengue is the fastest spreading tropical disease in the world representing a pandemic threat as it infects over 50 million people each year across every continent.
The disease is transferred when a female mosquito that is a carrier bites someone. It is occurring on a wider basis now because of the increased movement of goods and people. Carrier objects, such as used tires and bamboo plants are helping the disease spread along with floods that have been linked to climate change, said the health agency of the United Nations.
The disease, which is viral, affected just a few places during the 1950s but is currently present in over 125 countries, which is significantly higher than malaria that was historically the most well known mosquito borne sickness.
Last year, the continent of Europe suffered its first outbreak that was sustained since the early 1920s, with over 2,000 people being infected in Madeira, one of Portugal’s Atlantic islands.
Across the globe, over 2 million cases are reported annually by over 100 countries. The countries are usually in Africa, Asia and Latin America. There are between 5,000 and 6,000 deaths annually attributed to the sickness. However, some say the real number is much higher as the disease has spread and is now on all continents.
