The Foreign Office has issued a health alert following a ‘growing public health concern’ as ‘the world has faced an unexpected rise’ in cases and deaths from a life-threatening virus.
The World Health Organisation is advising that approximately four billion people in 130 countries are at risk of dengue – a virus spread by mosquitoes found in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, including parts of Europe.
Travel Health Pro, a subdivision of the Foreign Office, has warned that dengue has ‘spread into regions previously thought to be dengue free’.
As of April 2024, over five million dengue cases and over 2,000 dengue-related deaths have been reported worldwide since the beginning of 2024.