Travel warning issued as popular tourist spot battles deadly virus: ‘Half the world’s population now at risk’

Travelers headed to Fiji this summertime amended battalion much than conscionable their swimsuits — they mightiness want to adhd immoderate superior bug spray. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conscionable issued a informing for nan tropical hotspot arsenic dengue fever cases spike crossed nan Western Pacific.

Dengue, a perchance deadly microorganism dispersed by mosquitoes, has Fiji’s authorities on precocious alert. 

“About half nan world’s organization is now astatine consequence for dengue pinch an expected 100-400 cardinal infections occurring each year,” nan World Health Organization (WHO) wrote successful a recent statement, arsenic countries for illustration Mexico, Canada, and overmuch of nan Caribbean and Latin America are besides seeing a emergence successful cases.

According to nan agency, dengue fever typically starts pinch a precocious fever, headache, terrible musculus and associated pain, nausea, vomiting and a rash.

Some group whitethorn besides consciousness symptom down their eyes.

There isn’t a cure for it, and successful mild cases, over-the-counter symptom medications tin relieve immoderate symptoms.

In terrible cases — known arsenic dengue hemorrhagic fever — symptoms tin escalate to bleeding, breathing difficulties and aggravated abdominal pain.

The Central Division unsocial has logged complete 1,000 dengue cases from January to precocious March, according to nan Fiji Government.

The March surge “is supra nan expected [dengue] levels for nan aforesaid play past year,” it warned.

The World Mosquito Program dubbed 2024 nan “worst twelvemonth for dengue connected record,” and nan numbers aren’t slowing down.

In nan US, nan CDC marked dengue arsenic a level 1 wellness alert, advising travelers to “practice accustomed precautions.”

“Spring and summertime recreation coincide pinch nan highest play for dengue successful galore countries, expanding nan consequence of some travel-associated and locally acquired cases successful nan United States,” nan CDC wrote successful its caller health advisory.

Tourists are being urged to protect themselves by utilizing EPA-registered insect repellents, wearing agelong sleeves and pants, and sleeping successful air-conditioned rooms aliases ones pinch screened windows.

And it’s not conscionable Fiji emotion nan sting. 

The CDC has flagged respective different destinations pinch dengue fever basking spots, including Brazil, Colombia and nan Philippines — each of which person reported much dengue cases among American travelers returning to US soil.

With ambiance alteration fueling unpredictable upwind patterns — including heavier rains and flooding —experts fearfulness that nan conditions are premier for mosquitoes to breed and dispersed nan virus.

“If we proceed to merchandise planet-warming gases into our ambiance done business pollution, landfills, and different forms of pollution, dengue and different vector-borne illnesses will only thrive,” nan Fiji Government warned.