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, according to a statement made on Tuesday by Health Minister Rosa Gutiérrez. Therefore, please assist me in getting rid of mosquito breeding grounds.
Record Dengue Fever outbreak in Peru as climate change helps mosquitoes thrive
El Nio has officially begun, according to a statement made on June 8 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States. The colder La Nia pattern has characterised the last three years. According to scientists, this year is particularly concerning. The world experienced the warmest year on record in 2016, the year of the final powerful El Nio.
Michelle L’Heureux, a meteorologist at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Centre, said, “We’re in uncharted terrain. On Thursday, Peruvian President Dina Boluarte issued a proclamation establishing a two-month “state of emergency” in 18 of the nation’s 24 regions in order to facilitate prompt government action in response to the “imminent danger from heavy rainfall” this year and the following year.According to Gutiérrez, the number is the highest since 2017, when there were 89 fatalities and 68,290 cases.
