In the Italian municipalities of Manerba and Padenghe, both of which are located on Lake Garda, two people recently showed typical signs of dengue fever, such as “South Tyrol Newsreported. Previously, patients had already tested positive for the dengue virus, writes the “Frankfurter Rundschau“.
What are Dengue Fever Symptoms?
According to the Federal Foreign Office, the disease is usually accompanied by fever, skin rash and severe body aches. In rare cases, especially in children, even serious complications resulting in death are possible. These are generally rare among travelers.
After the two suspected dengue cases, citizens in the affected region in Italy were asked not to leave any water accumulation, for example in the saucers of flower pots, reports “Südtirol News” further. This is to limit the spread of mosquitoes in standing water.
How to protect yourself from tiger mosquitoes?
In a report published at the end of August, the emergency aid organization Oxfam warned of a global water crisis given the increase in extreme weather events caused by climate change. The global overheating leads to droughts and floods and thus to an increase in diseases. Especially in Asian countries affected by sea level rise, the number of cases of dengue fever and malaria could increase by more than 180 percent by 2040, especially in coastal areas.