The Rise of Dengue Fever in Mexico

dengue in Mexico to bring it a little closer to home

Lancet Examines Dengue Fever In Mexico

Main Category: Tropical Diseases
Article Date: 24 Aug 2009 - 0:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

Current ratings for:
Lancet Examines Dengue Fever In Mexico

Patient / Public:
Healthcare Prof:

Lancet World Report examines the factors contributing to a steady uptick in the number of dengue fever cases in Mexico over the past decade. Compared to the year 2000, when "there were 1,781 reported cases … Last year, the number totalled 33,000, according to Mexico's Public Health Department. And confirmed cases this year have already surpassed 2008 figures by 15%," according to the journal.
Mexico's "vast tropical regions" and densely populated urban areas make the country an "ideal spot for dengue fever." Some health experts also say "the rise in global commerce and tourism is one of the main factors, along with climate change, as a root cause of the disease's expansion." Experts also point to the recent movement of the mosquito Aedes aegypti, the carrier of the disease, into more Mexican states (21 of 31 states) and to higher altitudes.
The article includes information on how large-scale mosquito eradication and education programs underway in Mexico are trying to reduce the incidence of the disease (Cuddehe, 8/22).
This information was reprinted from globalhealth.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at globalhealth.kff.org.
 

• Additional
• References
• Citations

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
Visit our tropical diseases section for the latest news on this subject. 

end quote from:

 dengue in Mexico