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Dengue fever cases in the Caribbean and the Americas nearly triple as deaths rise

A female Aedes albopictus mosquito acquiring a blood meal from a human host.
James Gathany
/
CDC
FILE - This 2003 photo provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a female Aedes albopictus mosquito acquiring a blood meal from a human host. Dengue, a tropical illness caused by a virus, is spread by Aedes mosquitos, a type of warm weather insect that is expanding its geographic reach because of climate change, experts say.

Dengue fever is sweeping across the Caribbean and the Americas, with the number of cases this year nearly tripling the number from last year.

Health officials have reported a record 12.6 million cases of the mosquito-transmitted virus this year. Deaths from dengue are also rising. 
 
In the Caribbean and the Americas, 7,700 deaths have been reported so far. That’s more than a 200% increase compared to last year at 2,467.
 
Warmer weather because of climate change has caused cases of dengue to surge globally.  

Brazil is reporting the highest number of dengue cases with more than 10 million, followed by Argentina and Mexico. In the Caribbean, Guyana is leading with more than 41,000 cases.

Meanwhile, local dengue transmission has been reported in California, Florida and Texas this year.

READ MORE: Climate change plays a role in global rise of dengue fever

This is a News In Brief report. Visit WLRN News for in-depth reporting from South Florida and Florida news.

Sherrilyn Cabrera is WLRN's PM newscast and digital producer.
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