Virus Responsible for 1,000 Deaths in Bangladesh Could Embed in the US, Europe, WHO Scientist Says

A deadly mosquito-borne illness may not be as far away as it seems for many Americans and Europeans.

Jeremy Farrar, Ph.D., chief scientist of the World Health Organization (WHO), told Reuters that he believes Dengue fever — a mosquito-borne illness common in tropical environments — could “take off” in the U.S., Africa and Europe this decade.

The British scientist even believes it could become endemic and embed itself in these areas. The virus is already endemic in more than 100 countries, according to the WHO.  

The WHO says that there are as many as 400 million infections with the virus every year, typically in warmer climes where the mosquitoes that spread it thrive. Florida recorded an abnormally high amount of cases this summer, and Bangladesh is currently experiencing its worst outbreak of the disease on record, with more than 1,000 deaths.

Dr. Farrar continued that he expects an increase in cases will strain healthcare systems, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa. 

“The clinical care is really intensive, it requires a high ratio of nurses to patients,” he said.

Dengue is a viral disease spread by mosquito bites. Many won’t experience any symptoms, but people who are vulnerable to the disease may have severe muscle and joint pain and aches, which earned the disease the moniker “breakbone fever.” Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and a rash. In some cases, it can cause fatal internal bleeding. 

There are two Dengue vaccines, however, only one is approved by U.S. regulators, and is only authorized for use in people who have already recovered from the virus.

The Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda has a candidate that works similarly, however, it withdrew its vaccine candidate from consideration from US regulators, citing disagreements around data efficacy.