Dengue fever is surging worldwide. A hotter planet will make it worse.

Genesis Polanco Marte, 9, is treated by a doctor, Zurisadai Rivera Acosta, as a suspected dengue case at Hospital Auxilio Mutuo in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on May 30. — pale and listless beneath her Pokémon blanket — looked sicker than most children and exhibited no respiratory symptoms. She could only whimper as a pediatrician stroked her hair and softly questioned her in Spanish.

children 9 to 16 years old who have already been infected with dengue — those most vulnerable to hospitalization.The crisis in Puerto Rico is a warning sign for the rest of the United States. It shows how quickly an outbreak can metastasize in communities with fragile infrastructure, underfunded health systems and temperatures that get hotter with each passing year.It has been more than a decade since Puerto Rico saw its last dengue outbreak.

Florida has already reported eight cases from local spread this year, health department data show — and the state’s warmest months are yet to come. But it’s not just rising temperatures that contribute to disease spread, researchers say. Climate-induced droughts can prompt people to stockpile water, creating more mosquito habitat. Escalating hurricanes and floods also produce standing water while simultaneously forcing people from their homes and increasing their exposure to mosquitoes, said Mallory Harris, a disease ecologist at Stanford University.

“Most of the cases, they didn’t know they have dengue or they may have mild to moderate symptoms, so there is low perception of risk,” Villanueva said. “Parents are saying, ‘What are you talking about? Dengue, does that still exist?’”

Source: Energy Industry News (energyindustrynews.net)

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