Climate change raises dengue risk

PETALING JAYA: Half of the world’s seven billion people will be at risk of getting dengue if minimum temperatures in certain regions continue to rise, warned the first ever global mapping report on dengue vulnerability.

According to Mapping Global Vulnerability to Dengue using the Water Associated Disease Index, while South-East Asia and South Asia already faced the highest levels of vulnerability to dengue, western and central Africa, as well as parts of Europe and the mountainous regions of South America would be affected if minimum temperatures there continue to rise.