Dengue Fever (DF) and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) are found to be the highest recorded vector-borne viral diseases in the world, affecting approximately 2.5 billion people every year. Often, these diseases prove to be fatal.

Dengue Fever is prevalent in the tropical and subtropical regions of the globe. These areas experience a good amount of rainfall. Also called ‘breakbone fever,’ dengue as a vector-borne disease is marked by the transmission from an infected individual to another by a biological agent. The most common form of transmission to humans is by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, or more rarely the Aedes albopictus mosquito. Other animals serve as intermediary hosts, in some occasions.

A climate-based model is to be developed to scientifically predict dengue fever outbreaks in the world since the disease is closely related to biological agents that are unique to geographical areas that are delineated by climate behavior. ‘An early warning system to prevent and mitigate the spread of the disease can potentially be developed using this model,’ says Douglas O. Fuller, associate professor and chair of the Department of Geography and Regional Studies in the UM College of Arts and Sciences.

The study helps towards understanding the close relationship between climate and infectious disease. It is based on the premise that global warming worsens the occurrences of diseases such as dengue fever. A climate-based tool for prediction can help health authorities prepare the necessary resources to address, mitigate, maybe even thwart dengue fever outbreaks.

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Via Science Codex