Peru is battling the worst dengue outbreak in the country’s history with over 200,000 cases being reported so far and more than 200 fatalities recorded so far. The outbreak has been attributed to torrential rains and mosquitoes caused by El Ni o climate phenomenon.
A Fox News report quoted a Peru health ministry official as saying that El Ni o a natural climate phenomena was one of the key drivers behind the surge in dengue cases in the South American nation. The officials have warned that the situation could intensify further as more torrential rains are predicted, which will bring disease-carrying vectors along.
El Ni o fuels tropical cyclones in the Pacific region by warming oceans and weather across the world in a cyclical fashion. The annual warming boosts rainfall and increases the risk of floods in the region. The accumulation of water in cities, caused by increased rainfall boosts the reproduction of mosquitoes, bringing vector-borne diseases like dengue fever, malaria and others along with them.
Health officials in Peru have issued advisories and are prohibiting people from storing still water in open containers in hopes to prevent reproduction of mosquitoes and eliminate breeding grounds for vectors, according to the Fox News report.
“Dengue kills. Because of that, help me eliminate mosquito breeding sites,” Health Minister Rosa Guti rrez said in a statement on Tuesday, as per the report.