News & Perspective

(CIDRAP News) – Dengue fever cases in some of the world's tropical regions have surged during the first 3 months of the year, fueled by an El Nino-related drought that has forced people to store water, providing a breeding site for mosquitoes that spread the disease, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

(CIDRAP News) – Brazil's health ministry said this week that it has asked the military to help combat mosquitoes that spread dengue fever, as the number of sick patients with the disease grew to at least 55,000 so far this year.

Though dengue fever is common in Brazil, officials have said this year's outbreak is the worst in recent memory, averaging 1.4 new cases per minute, according to a report today from CNN.

(CIDRAP News) – Global health officials have noted sharp rises in the number of dengue fever cases in recent months, particularly in Latin American, Caribbean, and Asian countries where the disease is endemic.