El Niño phenomenon could trigger dengue outbreak in Honduras, warns doctor

Dr. Carlos Umaña, a physician and congressman, has warned of a potential dengue outbreak in Honduras, attributing the risk to the "El Niño" weather phenomenon. The country has already registered 3,935 dengue cases in the current year, with 67 classified as severe.

Umaña expressed regret over the first reported dengue death of the year, a 21-year-old woman from Olancho department. He explained that the combination of rainfall followed by warming temperatures, exacerbated by global warming and climate change, creates conditions favorable for mosquito proliferation in areas previously unaffected by dengue.

The affected areas include San Pedro Sula, Choluteca, Santa Bárbara, Copán, and Olancho. Umaña implored the Honduran public to actively eliminate mosquito breeding grounds to prevent further spread within communities.

Adding to the concern, Umaña noted that all four serotypes of the dengue virus are currently circulating in Honduras. This widespread presence increases the risk of a potential epidemic, making public health measures and individual vigilance crucial in combating the disease.

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When it rains and then there is warming due to global warming and climate change, the mosquito adapts and proliferates in places that never had dengue before.