Argentina faces rising dengue epidemic risk as mosquitoes hatch early

Patients with suspected dengue symptoms wait for medical attention at a hospital as dengue cases spike during a major outbreak, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 5, 2024. REUTERS/Matias Baglietto

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Mosquitoes are hatching earlier in Argentina and reaching cooler regions than before, as rising temperatures drive the country's worst outbreak of dengue fever and raise the risk of more regular epidemics of the insect-borne virus, scientists said.

So far in the 2023/24 season, the South American nation has recorded 232,996 cases of the disease sometime known as "break-bone fever" for the severe muscle and joint pain it can cause, along with high fever, headache, vomiting, and skin rash.