Dengue Outbreak in Peru: Cases Reach 200k, 200 Dead, the Situation Worsened by El Niño rains
As an El Nio weather phenomenon brings torrential rains and insects, Peru’s biggest dengue outbreak on record might get worse, pushing the death toll this year above 200 with over 130,000 cases reported, the health ministry warned on Thursday. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes transmit the tropical disease dengue fever, which can result in a high fever, headache, vomiting, discomfort in the muscles and joints, and occasionally even death. El Nio, a natural climate phenomenon, has been named as one of the major causes of the rise in cases by the nation’s health officials. El Nio is a periodic warming of the oceans and weather that intensifies tropical cyclones in the Pacific, increasing rainfall and the risk of flooding in the area. Because of the buildup of water in the cities, a surge in rainfall causes mosquito populations to multiply in large numbers. In an effort to stop reproduction, Peruvian health officials forbid citizens from keeping still water in open containers. Dengue kills,...