WHO warns about the danger of mosquitoes due to the diseases they transmit
In Latin America, dengue cases have tripled compared to last year.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned about the dangers posed by mosquitoes, considered one of the most lethal animals in existence due to the diseases they transmit, which cause hundreds of thousands of deaths and sicken hundreds of millions of people each year.
What diseases do mosquitoes transmit?
This was highlighted on World Mosquito Day, celebrated every August 20 to raise awareness about this dangerous insect. The health agency reminded that protective measures must be taken against them, as they can transmit diseases such as:
Chikungunya.
Lymphatic filariasis.
Japanese encephalitis.
Malaria.
Rift Valley fever.
Yellow fever.
Zika virus.
More than 600 thousand people die each year from malaria alone.
Dengue on the rise
The WHO has highlighted the drastic increase in dengue cases in recent years, which has accumulated more than 11 million cases in 80 countries, but whose most notable increase is observed in Latin America. Dengue cases have tripled in the region compared to last year and nearly 85 percent of the cases reported to the WHO globally are concentrated there.
According to data from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the number of dengue cases recorded during the first half of 2024 exceeded the highest number of annual cases reported in the documented history of the region. By the end of June, more than 9.2 million cases of dengue had been reported, with at least 6,500 deaths and more than 24,000 serious illnesses related to the disease.
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