Dengue and Chikungunya spread beyond the historical areas of transmission: A rising Public Health Challenge

Authors

Abstract

Dengue fever and chikungunya are viral diseases transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, which have been historically limited to specific regions in the Americas. However, in recent years, these diseases have been spreading beyond their traditional boundaries, affecting new populations and presenting a major public health challenge.

According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), there were over 3.5 million cases of dengue reported in the Americas in 2022, with Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Nicaragua being the countries with the highest incidence rates. Furthermore, chikungunya cases have been increasing in the region, with over 190,000 cases reported in 2022, a significant rise compared to the just over 9,000 cases reported in 2019.(1)

How to Cite

M, S. (2024). Dengue and Chikungunya spread beyond the historical areas of transmission: A rising Public Health Challenge. Journal of the Epidemiology Foundation of India, 2(2), 78–79. https://doi.org/10.56450/JEFI.2024.v2i02.009

Author Biography

Sruthi M, Public Health Specialist, Airport Health Organization, International Airport Trivandrum, Kerala

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References

Pan American Health Organization. (2022). Epidemiological update: Dengue. Retrieved from https://www.paho.org/en/documents/epidemiological-update-dengue accessed on date 15/06/2024

World Health Organization. (2023). Disease outbreak news item. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2023-DON448 accessed on date 15/06/2024

World Health Organization. (2022). Chikungunya. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/chikungunya accessed on date 15/06/2024

World Health Organization. (2022). Dengue and severe dengue. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dengue-and-severe-dengue accessed on date 15/06/2024